Smart Signals to Reduce Traffic Woes in Bangalore, Japan’s Technology Will Lessen Waiting Time
These automatic traffic signals, which will detect the density of cars along a road and change to ease the traffic on that side. This technology will reduce the waiting time at the traffic signals by almost 30 percent
The traffic jams on Indian roads has been a perpetual issue. The ever-increasing number of car owners and long queues of vehicles at every signal are a common sight. Moreover, until the time the signal turns green and back to red again, only half of the cars are able to pass through. But with smarter signals, your wait at the traffic signals will considerably reduce. Japanese International Cooperation Agency – JICA is going to help India reduce the traffic woes, starting with the city of Bangalore, which is notorious for its traffic jams.
JICA is planning on making an investment of Rs. 72 crores to set up automatic traffic signals, which will detect the density of cars along a road and change to ease the traffic on that side. This technology will reduce the waiting time at the traffic signals by almost 30 percent. And if the system finds its success in Bangalore, it will be adapted in several other cities of India.
This system is called Management by Origin-Destination Related Adaption for Traffic Organisation (MODERATO) and has been implemented in several Southeast Asian countries. Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand use this Japanese technology to ease the traffic. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has identified 29 spots along the MG road and Hosur road in Bengaluru to start with this project. These signals will even take into account the pedestrian crossings.
These signals will also have a GPS system for buses, taxis etc, queue length measurement sensors, automatic traffic counters and classifiers about the nature of traffic. According to an official from DULT, "We will install the QMS along 82 junctions where it will also have the CCTV camera installed. We will install these sensors for every 50, 100 and 150 meters distance of the roads so that it can analyse the actual traffic congestion and it will update the integrated traffic management centre (BBMP, BMTC and Traffic Police)." So if there are less number of vehicles on one side compared to the other, the signal will be longer for the other side. Similarly, the signal will be less for the opposite side which has less number of vehicles.
The plan sounds ambitious and might work but the tender process is about to start. It will set off in September 2018 and open to Japanese companies only. It is expected that the project will be completed by December 2019. So it is still a little wait for the citizens, but it does look as a solution for the growing traffic woes.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2018 02:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).