In Rupandehi’s Tilottama Municipality, a pedestrian crossing system called ‘Pelican Crossing’ has been initiated where pedestrians can press a button themselves to activate the traffic lights. This type of traffic light, known as ‘Pelican Crossing,’ was inaugurated jointly by the Mayor of Tilottama Municipality, Ramkrishna Khan, and Deputy Mayor Jageshwor Devi Chaudhary during a program today.
Currently, traffic lights have been installed at various intersections in areas like Kotihawa, Driver Toll, Bhalwari, and Manigram. Ramkrishna Khan, the Mayor of Tilottama Municipality, explained that in order to reduce accidents, special attention has been given to pedestrians by implementing the pedestrian crossing system where pedestrians can activate the traffic lights by pressing the button themselves.
Deputy Mayor Jageshwor Devi Chaudhary mentioned that along with the development of infrastructure, technology has also been incorporated to significantly impact overall development and connect physical and human development. She highlighted the implementation of self-crossing pedestrian systems as part of this technological development.
Speaking about the technology, Bibek Shrestha, a multi-purpose technician, explained that Pelican Crossing gathers pedestrians and allows them to cross from one side of the road to another in one go. He mentioned that the system is designed to activate lights based solely on necessity rather than synchronizing them with vehicle movements. He stated that the total cost of this system is estimated to be 10 lakhs.
District Traffic Police Office Inspector Bajir Singh Bisht emphasized that adhering to traffic rules while driving ensures safety. He explained, “When pedestrians press the switch, the traffic light turns red within 3 minutes. Vehicles stop, and once the pedestrian signal turns green, indicating it’s safe to cross, pedestrians can proceed.” He further added, “In some instances, there will be green lights on the highway and vehicles will move ahead.”
(Note: This translation has been done to the best of my ability, considering the context provided. Some nuances may vary based on interpretation.)
