Bhubaneswar, March 30: Traffic signals are crucial for commuters' safety and road discipline but the pole installed at the Housing Board Square crossing has become a nightmare for pedestrians as well as motorists.
The situation becomes worse at night when drivers have difficulty spotting the pole, which has its base painted in black and yellow.
The position of the pole that once stood on the side of the road changed following road expansion. Authorities, however, have stated that steps would be taken to relocate the pole on the other side of the road again.
Two days ago, a car driver had a close shave while taking a left turn at this traffic square. The car was coming from Ram Mandir Square. As the light turned red, the vehicles in front of the car stopped forcing it to take an immediate left turn, and in the process, the driver spotted the pole at the last moment. "I just saw it at the last moment and slammed the brakes. The pole was not noticeable from a distance as other vehicles were in front of me," said driver Santosh Rana.
The road was widened around a month ago, and since then, the pole has shifted almost to the middle of it. Ever since, several minor and major accidents have taken place in the area.
Local residents say chances of accident are always there during the peak hours.
Last evening, a motorcyclist hit the pole while negotiating the turn at this square. Both the biker and the pillion rider fell on the road and suffered minor injuries. "We have been witnessing many such minor accidents daily," said Nrupesh Maharana, a local trader.
People also said many drivers tend to park cars on the roadside, making things even more difficult. A local resident said they would stage protest if the authorities did not take immediate steps to shift the pole.
Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Jatindra Panda said he was aware of the problem. "We will ask the public works department to shift the pole to the left side, so that people can clearly see the signal and it does not create problems for motorists," he said.
