Consumer body urges government to create fund for traffic signals in all cities
In his letter to the Chief Secretary, CCC secretary K. Kathirmathiyon stated that the State government was not providing money to erect new traffic signals and for the maintenance of existing ones, including their electricity charges, except for Greater Chennai City.
He stated that the government provided ₹11.16 crore to Chennai for traffic signals for 2024-25, out of which ₹4.12 crore was for replacement of signals, ₹6.92 was for new traffic signals with automatic number plate recognition cameras (NPR) and ₹11.36 lakh for pedestrian signals.
As per the letter, no department is assigned the work of erection, maintenance and payment of electricity bills of traffic signals in other districts in the State and no fund is allotted for the specific purpose.
It stated that there is no provision in any of the Acts, Rules or Government order on the matter. In fact, nobody knows in whose name the electricity connection should be obtained for the traffic signals. In Coimbatore city alone, electricity charges of about ₹1 crore are outstanding and nobody knows who would pay it, the consumer body said.
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