Bhubaneswar, June 22: One of the visible changes in the city after winning the smart city tag will be hi-tech traffic signalling systems powered by solar energy.

According to plans, 63 major junctions across the city will have the facility by April next year. Of these, 14 will have state-of-the-art "pelican signalling systems".

The pelican signalling system is a type of pedestrian crossing, which features a pair of poles each with a standard set of traffic lights facing the traffic, a push button and two coloured pictograms facing pedestrians from across the road.

The facility also provides non-visual indication - a beep, vibrating button or tactile rotating cone - to assist visually impaired pedestrians. It ensures pedestrians' control over zebra crossings. By pressing a button, the automated system will convert the signal to green when pedestrians cross the line, and after their exit, the light will change. The system is already in operation in New Delhi.

The pelican crossing system was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1969 before it was adopted in Ireland and other nations. "Pelican" stands for pedestrian light control activation. The system provides a safe, two-stage crossing for pedestrians.

Janpath, Sachivalaya Marg and Vidyut Marg are the major three junctions where the system will be made operational. Other major crossings include Chandrasekharpur Square, CRP Square, Stewart Square, DAV Square, Xavier Square, Sailashree Vihar Square, Infocity Square and KIIT Square

Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited, the special purpose vehicle to execute the smart city projects, has set in motion the process of installing the modern signalling system estimated to cost Rs 12 crore. The firm has already invited bidders for the project.

"We had undertaken a survey to improve the traffic situation across the city. We have identified 63 major junctions, where traffic is busy and there is an urgent need to address the problem. We have also found that pedestrians are at a high risk at these junctions. So, we have decided to introduce pelican signalling at some of these junctions as the system is pedestrian-friendly," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Pedestrians are upbeat about the new project. "Zebra crossings at major junctions of the city are just for show. Nobody cares about these lines and follow the rules. Often, bikers and motorists do not stop at the zebra lines even when pedestrians are waiting to cross. This makes it difficult for pedestrians like us to cross the road even when the signal is red. So, I hope the new system will prove beneficial for us," said local resident Jayanta Panda.

Traffic personnel believe that the new system will help them control traffic with ease as well as keep tabs on violators. "Many times, bikers violate the signals and try to speed through even when the lights are red. This poses a great threat to the bikers as well as the pedestrians. The automatic lights and the pelican system will help curb such incidents," said a traffic policeman.

He said manual operation of the signals is difficult especially during summer and monsoon. "Whether it is lashing rain in the monsoon or a punishing sun in the summer, we have to bear the brunt of the weather. The new system would give us some relief from this situation. Moreover, during peak hours, managing traffic gets very difficult. I hope the automated system will prove beneficial for all," said the policeman.

Sources said the objective of the system was to link traffic signals to a central control room for wide area traffic management. Under the system, signal efficiency will be significantly enhanced.

At present, major traffic posts in the city have manual operating system of traffic signals, which are managed by respective traffic personnel. As part of the current plan, there will be a central control room from where the system will be operated. The system will work with real time traffic data to operate the signals. The system will be self-diagnostic, so that any fault will be directly relayed to the control room. This will eliminate the need for dedicated maintenance teams to conduct periodic checks on them.

The other major addition will be the use of solar power instead of traditional electricity. "The use of solar photovoltaic panels on the traffic posts will cut down the electricity bill by more than 60 per cent. Moreover, the central control room will operate the lights on 24x7 basis, and in case of malfunction, it will send an immediate response to the officials, following which they will repair it immediately," said an official of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited.

The modern traffic signalling system is one of the four projects that would be taken up in the first year under the Smart City Project. The other three projects to be implemented this year would be development of the railway multi-modal hub, establishment of Bhubaneswar Urban Knowledge Centre and a project called I am Bhubaneswar.