The Delhi Police on Wednesday informed the  igh Court that they had installed auditory devices at 57 traffic signals and identified 35 more traffic intersections for installation of the signals to facilitate smooth road crossing by the visually impaired.

The police also informed the Court in reply to a public interest litigation that on roads, where there are continuous flow of traffic, 22 pelican traffic signals and 36 pedestrian traffic signals are functional, which have the facility to provide adequate time in the signalling cycle for pedestrians for crossing the roads safely. 

Additionally, 96 signals, with pedestrian features, have been installed and there was a plan to provide these features on almost all the signals, the affidavit said.

The petition has sought directions from the Court to make the Capital’s roads friendly for visually and hearing-impaired pedestrians.

The petitioner, Vinod Kumar Bansal, through his lawyer Sitab Ali Chaudhary, submitted that due to non-installation of auditory traffic signals, pavements without kerbs and cuts, absence of slopes for easy plying of wheel-chairs and absence of engravings at zebra crossings, visually impaired pedestrians or ones with low vision were at huge inconvenience while walking on the roads.

Absence of ramps at public buildings also put differently-abled people at great inconvenience in accessing them, the petition stated.

The petitioner rued that the government  uthorities had taken no action despite The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, mandating it to provide these facilities to the diffeently-abled.

35 more traffic intersections identified for  nstallation of auditory signals

SOURCE: The Hindu