Hyderabad may well be the first city in the country to have the facility
Road conditions in different parts of the city at a click of mouse or status of traffic on a particular corridor just a SMS away.
Traffic snarls, water logging, road cutting or repair works on a stretch you have to travel can be checked before turning the ignition key of the vehicle.
A proposal to cover the entire city with Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) has been ‘agreed in principle' at the recent meeting of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA). And according to the officials, when taken up, Hyderabad would have the distinction of being first city in the country to have such concept.
The proposal by the UMTA committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, Pankaj Dwivedi looked at the ITS Master Plan duly integrating with the Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Management System (H-TRIMS) already initiated by the GHMC and the GPS project of the APSRTC.
Setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for implementing the project has been suggested and the possibility of external funding including from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was mooted.
For the Outer Ring Road (ORR), it was already being worked out.
“Now, we are looking at implementing the concept inside the ORR area and cover at least 70 to 80 per cent of the traffic,” the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Commissioner, Neerabh Kumar Prasad said.
Under the ITS concept, data collection units such as probes, CCTVs, traffic-detectors, water-depth gauge and pollution monitoring equipment would be installed in different points to collect real time information on traffic volume, weather, accident and disasters.
The bus probe system would keep updating real time information on location and movement of buses in different parts.
The dynamic monitoring of the traffic movement in the city would be done at a control room and same made available for dissemination as required by the road-users. The facility could be connected to the website for browsers to check road condition, traffic situation, water logging, processions or other issues on a given stretch and also made available to the mobile phone users in the form of message alerts or enquiry responses.
Boards displaying road conditions ahead with variable message sign (VMS) would also guide the traffic on choosing their routes.
“Those driving along a route will know what is ahead for them and if required can alter their drive plan,” said an official.
Keywords: Intelligent Transportation System, Special Purpose Vehicle, Road conditions, Traffic snarls, water logging, road cutting/ repair works
This is really great achivement for Hyderabad as well for the whole country, if it gets implemented as per the what is there in the plan. Public will have lot of information at their tips about the traffic conditions. Specially for city like Hyderabad with congested roads and heavy traffic, it is very much required to manage the smooth flow of traffic. The GPS connectivity in APSRTC bus will give them lot of value. The bues can display the next stop ahead in the bus, So it will help the people very new to city in identifying the destination. The outer ring road will specially need this intelligent traffic mgmt, due to its high traffic volume. There are no essential eminities along side the road to Airport and other destinations. If they setup petrol bunks, resturants, resting places, auto servicing center, it will help the people a lot. This is good development hope this will be implemented successfully in the near future. Great work by Hyd Adminstrators.
While I believe this is a good step forward, authorities need a proper
legislation for management of roads and traffic. I often fail to
understand how highly traffic sensitive roads are dug up and left
without reinstatement for weeks and months only deteriorating the
quality of roads. I also believe while high density impacts the
traffic situation, condition of the roads will definitely help improve
the situation. And hence appropriate rules and regulations are
required to manage works on the city roads. And if authorities are
really reading, they could refer to the UK traffic management act.
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