Traffic signals in India are unpredictable. The same red light could just as easily let you through in 20 seconds or hold you up for three minutes.
One small tweak in their design makes these signals more tolerable – a countdown timer that tells you your waiting time. As a motorist, I used to hate the lights without timers more – even if they were quicker. Once I see the number on the timer, I know that I have about 100 seconds to relax. I can then stop staring at the light, worrying when I would need to scamper ahead amidst a chaotic deluge of vehicular horns.
A large part of an inconvenience we put somebody through is the uncertainty that comes along with it. Reducing this uncertainty could go a long way in mitigating their dissatisfaction.
Observations 