Moscow is set to equip some 30 traffic lights with sound and vibration modules to help people with visual and hearing impairments safely cross the street, Moscow's Traffic Management Center said in a statement Thursday.
The modules will also play a distinct melody to warn pedestrians that they have seven seconds left to make it to the opposite sidewalk before the light turns red.
“Moscow's transportation infrastructure should be adapted to all residents,” the statement quoted Vadim Yuryev, the head of the Traffic Management Center, as saying. “We are actively working on programs that will allow transportation to become more comfortable for people with limited mobility. The use of such modules at traffic lights in Moscow will help people with impaired sight and hearing to cross the street easily.”
The statement did not provide a specific timeline for the installation of the modules but said they would be set up by the end of the year. The cost of the undertaking was not disclosed.
In 2011, Russia launched a five-year, multibillion-ruble Accessible Environment Program to make city infrastructure more accessible for people with disabilities. The program's measures include building inclusive and accessible schools, sports facilities and transportation infrastructure.
The program states that 45 percent of major public and transportation facilities should be made accessible by 2016.
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