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Kota became the first Indian city to be traffic signal-free. Can the model be emulated?

- VAISHALI DAR

URBAN MOBILITY IS a challenge of 21st-century cities. With swelling populations and rising vehicle ownership, traditional traffic control systems, especially traffic signals, are increasingly seen as bottlenecks rather than solutions. But does this mean we need signal-free cities?

Kota in Rajasthan has already entered the new phase of urban redesign. Instead of relying on electronic traffic lights, the city infrastructure is redesigned to let vehicles flow continuously, improving efficiency, safety, and environmental performance. This month, Kota became India’s first traffic light-free city. The removal of signals and a systemic redesign of the city’s road network under the leadership of the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT), Kota, the state's statutory body created under the Rajasthan Urban Improvement Act, 1959, to promote and manage urban development and improvement within cities, has transformed the city.