HYDERABAD: Crossing the road outside CARE Hospital feels like a near-death experience for 27-year-old Prasanna. She brings her grandmother for weekly check-ups but says the nearby pelican (Pedestrian Light Controlled) signal right outside the hospital is of little help. “In this heat, it’s frustrating. The pedestrian light turns green, but the vehicle signal stays green too, so no one stops. Others run across, but we can’t,” she said.
Though the city has 88 pelican signals across its three Commissionerate’s, pedestrian safety goes for a toss every day. In Cyberabad alone, 256 pedestrian deaths were recorded in 2024. While traffic police claim only 14 pelican signals are non-functional, ground checks revealed several were defunct and lacked volunteers to assist the pedestrians. Some were so poorly placed that pedestrians couldn’t even notice them.
Hyderabad has 31 pelican signals, with four removed by traffic police. Cyberabad has 54, with 10 down due to construction. Rachakonda’s three signals are reportedly functional. The pelican signal near CARE Hospital has been placed in a restricted zone. Automated, although the pelican signal shows a green signal for a pedestrian to cross the road, the vehicle signal does not turn red. In any scenario, the signal for vehicles remains green, leaving no option but for pedestrians to run from one side of the road to the other.
According to Banjara Hills traffic inspector Sai Prakash Goud, the signal was initially manned by a traffic volunteer, but has now been automated. “It is a 120-second green signal for cyclists and 150 seconds for pedestrians. As the contract for the traffic volunteer is over, we have automated them. We will try again to depute at the location,” he said.
Similar is the situation with KIMS Hospital in Begumpet. The signal beeps and changes colour, but vehicle lights don’t coincide, making it pointless. Near Anand Theatre in Begumpet, even when signals turn red, vehicles don’t stop. “Drivers speed through without looking up. The signal is so poorly placed, no one notices,” said Sushil, a student.
Rachakonda traffic DCP Y. Sreenivasulu admitted the issue and said outdated vehicle signals will soon be replaced under a new contract. A senior Hyderabad traffic official added, “Earlier, we had a contract-based operator for pelican signals. Now, we have set 120–150 second cycles but usually don’t place pelican signals near vehicle signals.” Most of these pelican signals were placed near vehicle signals, further raising the issue of these signals confusing pedestrians rather than assisting.
