Jammu Tawi, July 23: A group of social activists lead by Balvinder Singh in a press meet questioned the way-finding signages recently installed across Jammu city under the Smart City Project and pin-pointed the faults and inappropriateness in its installations to the core mission of Smart City Project.
He said the importance of a way-finding-signage is to inform, direct and guide people unfamiliar with the topography of the city. Effective signage must be in the right place, point to the most logical directions, and should be noticeable at the operating speed with continuity so that a visitors needs not to ask or enquire at any intersection till finally reaches his destination. “But more than 50% of the signages installed in Jammu City doesn’t have continuity. Citing an example of one such signage installed at Digiana near Akali Kour Singh Nagar whereby shown the direction for Jhiri and Talab Tillo but both the directions are missing at every following intersections. Quoting the example of one such signage installed 100mtrs before the Kunjwani Rotary which is made so complicated as names of 15 destinations clubbed together making it impossible for a road-user to take note of them without stopping, he said.
Activists said that 25% Way-Finding-Signages are not installed vertically at 90 degrees, Some of the signages are fixed over the footpath but with a height of 4 feet resulting in the obstruction of the pedestrian’s movement. Some of the signboards are installed in such places where it is not visible to the road users especially on the Satwari Airport road where Signages are installed in between the big trees planted on the central verge of the road.
Some of the Way-Finder-Signages instead of guiding the visitor, create confusion as these shows the arrow for a particular destination left or right while there are three, four or five lanes turning to left/right prior to the intersection ahead. He quoted one example of signage installed at Nexa crossing green belt park showing the direction of B R Ambedkar Chowk left side whereas there are four lanes turning to left before one reaches Valmiki Chowk and then turning to left towards the destination B R Ambedkar Chowk.
They urged upon the Div Com Jammu to constitute the team of experts to review all way-finding signages and also urge LG Manoj Sinha to review the MOU sign with the consulting company at very exorbitant rates of 10.20 Cr.
Manjit Singh Bali, Manmohan Singh, Mahesh Singh Kotwal, Ayaz Ahmad Khan and Anil were present at the press meet.
