Chandigarh, thankfully turn green. It is, in fact, a part of the experiment being done by the UT engineering department, along with the Traffic Police, to coordinate the lights on the long road stretch to avoid long wait and congestion.

If it becomes success a story, the new idea will become part of the traffic management.

“Calculating the average speed of the vehicles, between 50 to 70 km per hour, we have coordinated the timings of all lightpoints in such a way that commuters get the green light at all lightpoints. This will save the time and reduce congestion,” says Chief Engineer S K Jaitley. The experiment means that if a vehicle encounters green signal at Transport light point, it will get green signal at all lightpoints, till Panchkula entry lights.

The experiment will be carried on for a few weeks till finalised in February. “We will take one road stretch at a time,” says the chief engineer, adding that next is the road between Transport lightpoints and Tribune roundabout.

The deadline at this stretch is March, 2008.

Also, the department is planning to illuminate the roundabouts and draw direction arrows. The roundabouts between sectors 26 and 7 are being refurbished as part of pilot project.

“We are working on making it possible for allowing the free left turns.