The defunct traffic signal at Kotwali. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Police have decided to start operations of the traffic signals at the Kotwali intersection and Hartali Mor in a month.

Happy with the operations of the manual traffic signal at the busy Dakbungalow roundabout for the past five months, the force is now focused on two of the remaining 16 out-of-order traffic signals in the city.

Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj told The Telegraph: “Work for reviving the signals at the Kotwali intersection and Hartali Mor will start soon. We expect the signals to be operational within a month. Like the signal at Dakbungalow roundabout, these two signals will also be operated manually and controlled by the cops.”

There are 17 traffic signals in Patna. Installed in 2005, they were all automatic. Calcutta-based firm Webel Mediatronics was given the contract of installing and maintaining the signals. But the signals developed snags the same year and became defunct.

In late-May this year, the police revived the signal at the Dakbungalow roundabout, making it manual. A traffic constable operates the signal.

A police source said the traffic movement at the Kotwali intersection and Hartali Mor is being studied at present for the smooth operation of the signals.

A police officer said: “There is heavy traffic at these two intersections throughout the day, similar to the Dakbungalow roundabout. For operating the signals manually, one needs to know the traffic pressure on the two points and when the vehicular movement is high or low. The interval between red and green signals will vary according to the hour of the day.”

On the decision to start the Kotwali and Hartali Mor signals after five months, the officer said: “The traffic signals had been out of order for a long time. The people have forgotten how to follow them. The police started off with only one signal at first so that the people did not get confused about following them. Now that the Dakbungalow signal is working, the people know the meaning of the traffic lights. All the signals in the city would be made operational in phases.”

The source said once all the 17 signals start working, the police will decide on whether to keep them manual or automatic.

Another police officer said: “It is too premature to decide on that now. A decision will be taken once all the signals are operational and run smoothly for a while.”