. At a junction on Anna Salai in Chennai, a car edges past the spot where a traffic light once hung, slows down, curves into a U-turn and merges back without stopping. Almost 1700km away, in Bokaro, drivers approach roundabouts that have never needed signals at all, easing off instinctively. In Kota, the same idea of uninterrupted flow often collapses into peak-hour gridlock, forced detours and sudden bottlenecks. India’s experiments with signal-free roads may not have succeeded universally but have left deeper lessons on traffic management and human behaviour. Kota’s attempt was the most sweeping. Under the Smart City Project, it dismantled traffic signals in Dec 2022, spending over Rs 2,000cr from the Rs 5,000cr programme to build more than two dozen overbridges, as many underpasses and multiple slip lanes. At least 12 major junctions were widened and redesigned to eliminate stopping altogether. The redesign drew attention beyond the city too, with industrialist Anand Mahindra among those who appreciated the concept – an endorsement residents now cite as proof the idea was never dismissed as impractical, only difficult to execute at scale. “It’s the only traffic signal-free city of nearly 15 lakh people,” said RD Meena, former officer on special duty of then Kota Urban Improvement Trust, now Kota Development Authority, who supervised the project.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBJP Targets Mamata Banerjee Over ED Raid At I-PAC, Alleges Evidence TamperingFrom Op Sindoor To Venezuela: How Chinese Air Defence And Radar Systems Continue To Fail NationsDipu Das Lynching: Bangladesh Police Arrest Man Who Incited Mob As Attacks Against Hindus ContinueFrance Ditches Global South, Collective West As Jaishankar Warns Europe Of Changing World Order’Naughty, Nasty HM’: Mamata Slams Amit Shah After ED Raids TMC Leader Amid SIR RowPM Modi Launches ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’, Recalls Centuries-Old Resolve Behind Temple’s Revival“US Using Tariffs To Pressure India” Sareen Slams Trump Over Russia Sanction BillDonald Trump Pulls US Out Of India-Led Solar Alliance In Sweeping Exit From 66 Global AgenciesNew CCTV Footage Raises Questions Over Planning Behind Turkman Gate Clashes During Midnight DriveMinor Shooter Accuses National Coach Of Sexual Assault, NRAI Suspends Him Pending Police Inquiry123PhotostoriesHow to deal with difficult people without losing your cool: 5 effective psychology-based tipsBirthday Special: Farhan Akhtar’s movies to watch on OTTFarhan Akhtar’s social media moments with wife and kids10 smart and comforting sooji dishes to enjoy for breakfastExclusive: Viraj Bahl on the public admiration he’s been getting due to Shark Tank India; says ‘I still feel embarrassed when people ask me for selfies’‘Toxic’: Kiara Advani, Nayanthara to Rukmini Vasanth: Meet the leading ladies of Yash’s highly anticipated comeback filmHow to make comforting Gajar Matar Ki Sabzi at home10 most democratic countries in the world12 banana desserts enjoyed around the world’The Office’ to ‘Modern Family’: Best sitcoms to watch on Peacock123Hot PicksMinneapolis Woman ShootMaharashtra civic pollsGold rate todayUAE citizenshipCigarette price hikePublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingCandace OwensTommy Fleetwood and Clare Fleetwood Net WorthTravis KelceBrandon TatumQuinn HutsonRic Flair Net Worth in 2025Rashee RiceMarshon Lattimore ArrestAnthony EdwardsStefon Diggs
At a junction on Anna Salai in Chennai, a car edges past the spot where a traffic light once hung, slows down, curves into a U-turn and merges back without stopping. Almost 1700km away, in Bokaro, drivers approach roundabouts that have never needed signals at all, easing off instinctively. In Kota, the same idea of uninterrupted flow often collapses into peak-hour gridlock, forced detours and sudden bottlenecks. India’s experiments with signal-free roads may not have succeeded universally but have left deeper lessons on traffic management and human behaviour. Kota’s attempt was the most sweeping. Under the Smart City Project, it dismantled traffic signals in Dec 2022, spending over Rs 2,000cr from the Rs 5,000cr programme to build more than two dozen overbridges, as many underpasses and multiple slip lanes. At least 12 major junctions were widened and redesigned to eliminate stopping altogether. The redesign drew attention beyond the city too, with industrialist Anand Mahindra among those who appreciated the concept – an endorsement residents now cite as proof the idea was never dismissed as impractical, only difficult to execute at scale. “It’s the only traffic signal-free city of nearly 15 lakh people,” said RD Meena, former officer on special duty of then Kota Urban Improvement Trust, now Kota Development Authority, who supervised the project.
