Digital screens distracting commuters?
As per policy, any display on roads that distracts drivers should not be allowed
LUCKNOW: The 7-km-long Lohia Path stretch provides easy connectivity between cis and trans-Gomti areas, but road safety norms seem to have been thrown to the winds here. Hoardings and large digital display screens coming up all across the road could prove to be a hazard for commuters.
LUCKNOW: The 7-km-long eightlane Lohia Path stretch provides easy connectivity between cisGomti and trans-Gomti areas, but road safety norms seem to have been thrown to the winds here. Hoardings and large digital display screens coming up all across the road could prove to be a hazard for commuters.
The ‘running display screens’ set up on both sides of a foot over bridge (FoB) inaugurated on October 8 near a mall appear to distract drivers. “We have been told about the problem caused by these screens. The issue is being taken up with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation,” said Ravi Shankar, SP (traffic).
As per the provisions of the Indian Road Congress’s (IRC) policy code, any such hoarding/display on the roads that distracts drivers and leads to traffic hazards should not be allowed.
“Illuminated advertisements of the following description are objectionable from the angle of traffic safety and should not be allowed – advertisements, which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent or moving light or lights except those giving public service information such as time, temperature, weather or date,” says the policy.
“Most of the time, these large screens display distracting material. A separate small screen displays time, temperature, weather or date,” said a government functionary.
The policy further provides for not allowing “Illuminated advertisements of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or impair vision of the driver or pedestrians or which otherwise
interfere with any operations of driving …. advertisements illuminated in away as to obscure or diminish effectiveness of any official traffic sign, device or signal.”
However, PWD chief engineer RP Singh said he was not aware of any safety code of the IRC. He said Lohia Path was PWD’s city highway and was listed among ‘other district roads’ category. “We will look into safety codes and appropriate action will be taken, if required,” added Singh.
The LMC, which has allowed the display screens on the FoB, justified the decision. “I don’t think the display screens are distracting drivers. Such screens are there all along this and other roads in the city. This FoB has been built on PPP model. We are not aware of any safety code,” said PK Srivastava, additional municipal commissioner.
Ministry of road transport & highways’s policy does not permit ad hoardings on NHs/ expressways within the Right of Way except informatory signs of public interest such as hospitals, bus stations etc or advertisement of temporary nature announcing local events . Under the policy of private sponsorship of road signs and greening of national highways, private entrepreneurs are allowed to depict the name/logo of their company in a sign of specified dimension. But, a few officials claimed that the IRC code did not apply in municipal limits as traffic within the city moved slower in comparison to that on the national highways.