Flawed  Way Finding  Signages installed In Jammu  under Smart City Project: Balvinder

Jammu, July 24, 2021: S Balvinder Singh RTI activist, along with other Civil Society Members S Manjit Singh Bali, S Manmohan Singh, Sh Mahesh Singh Kotwal, Sh Ayaz Ahmad Khan, & Mr Anil,  while addressing the media said that for execution and implementation of  52  Smart City Projects UT Administration hired Rodic Conslutants Pvt Ltd and a very  handsome amount is agreed to have been  paid to them. The said consultant has declared in their mission on the website that we are committed to quality and stringent adherence to global benchmarks of excellence. But as per Mr Singh there are number of flaws in the installation of  wayfinding signages, project costing to 10.20 Crore,  in the Entire City and it speaks contarary to the mission of the Consultant and the core mission of Smart City Project.

Singh said the importance of wayfinding Signage is to inform, direct and guide people who are unfamiliar with the environment. Effective signage must be in the right place, point to the most logical directions, and should be noticeable at the operating speed.. As per mr Singh another very  important aspect of the wayfinding signage is the 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 the signages installed in Jammu City doesn’t have continuity. While citing example of one such signage installed at Digiana near Akali Kour Singh Nagar wherby shown the direction for Jhiri and Talab Tillo but both the directions are missing at every coming intersections. Singh said that almost every guidelines for weayfinding signages states that the location and legibility of the road signs should be such as to provide adequate response time to read and take action at the operating speed. But Mr singh quoted the example of one such signage installed 100mrs 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.

Singh said more that 25% Way Finding  Signages  are not installed vertically at 90 degree, Some of the signages are fixed over the foot path but with a height of 4 feet resulting in the obstruction of the pedestrian’s movement. Some of the sign boards 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 in the central verge of the road.

Singh further stated that some of the Way Finder Signages instead of guiding the visitors creates  confusion as they shows the arrow for particular destination  left or right but actually there are three , four or five lanes turning 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 wheras there are four lanes turning left before one reaches at Valmiki Chowk and then turning to left towards the destination B R Ambedkar Chowk.

So Balvinder urged upon the Div Com Jammu to constitute the team of experts preferably the locals to review all wayfinding signages and also urge upon L G Manoj Sinha Sahib keeping in view of the poor performance of the consultant must review the MOU sign with him at very exorbitant rates. Singh also urged upon UT administration to appoint the Local Engineers from different specializing  for monitoring all 52 projects .