Why traffic signal lights and solar street lights system performance are below average in Africa particularly in Nigeria.

First, we must acknowledge some importance of Traffic Signal Lights on our roads

1. They make vehicles traffic safer on our roads at any intersection
2. They help conduct an orderly flow vehicles
3. They reduce number of accidents etc.

Considering the poor performance of the traffic signal lights and solar street lights, we need to emphasize on the factors and solutions in order to improve the performance

    Factors affecting Traffic Lights and Solar Street Lights System

1. Lack of digital electronics fundamentals:

When there are lack of knowledge and understanding of the components embedded on the circuit board of the traffic signal light Controllers, it will be difficult to interpret and troubleshoot the controllers whenever they are faulty or malfunctioning. 

Question- What do you think will happen to the controllers when faulty?

Replacing traffic controllers cost a fortune that’s why sometimes the Government do abandon such project after spending more and no result.

Solution- such project must be contracted or supervised by a specialist on the field that have the full knowledge and understanding of traffic control system

         2. Mode of operation:

I carried out a research why the performances were so poor in 2018, I found out that 90% of the traffic signal light controllers are been maintained by unqualified personnel which constitute mainly to the poor result

Secondly, the traffic signal light controllers are of old fashion; whereby they are designed in one mode operation, they can only accept one mode at a time.

• For instance a cross junction intersection with one mode of operation controller: the traffic controller can not detect direction where more vehicles needs green light than others but it can only be in sequence
• Multiple mode of operation controller: if 10 vehicles were to come from one particular direction and the traffic controller detect more than EXPECTED, it will automatically give more priority to the direction than others and when the atmosphere returns to its earlier programme then it will switch back to the normal programme, that’s Intelligence Traffic System (ITS).

Nowadays, controllers are designed in such a way that they can run different mode simultaneously

       3.  Human error:

Vandalising cables, batteries are also major part of the issue which can totally damage the control system in the process.

Secondly, technical approach in resolving faults and error in the traffic signal lights are also source of concern too