The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has renewed the initiative to equip the city with Intelligent Transport System (ITS) which promises to make available real-time information on traffic and road conditions and address issues faced by motorists on different corridors.
Last year, HMDA had called for tenders which attracted three bids, but the process was put on hold after the bids were found to be falling short on few minor clauses. Now, fresh tenders have been called after addressing these issues.
When introduced, Hyderabad would become the first city in the country to be equipped with an intelligent transport system which uses data collection units such as probes, closed-circuit television, traffic detectors, water-depth gauge and pollution monitoring paraphernalia to guide drivers with information on status of different stretches in real time. The data on traffic conditions such as jams, processions, accidents or diversions apart from water logging or roads dup up for repairs, would be monitored from a central control room and made available for motorists through variable message sign (VMS) boards installed at different locations. The dynamic monitoring of the traffic movement would also be made available on a website for browsers and for mobile phone users in the form of message alerts. According to officials, the paraphernalia to be set up as part of ITS would generate inputs on traffic volume on major corridors which in itself could help a motorist plan a route to take based on the status of a road. “If there is an accident that disrupted traffic movement or a road work, a road user will have the information and can check and take an alternative route,” said an official.
Also, the bus probes installed on the RTC buses would keep relaying information on their movement and location that comes in handy for commuters. The ITS project is being taken up by the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL), an arm of HMDA, with loan of assistance provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The tenders last year had three companies expressing interest in the project, but their bids had certain shortcomings, said the HGCL Chief General Manager, B. Anand Mohan. “We had the choice of either treating these shortcomings as minor deviations and qualify all the three or go for fresh tenders and we went for the latter,” he said.
Hyderabad will be the first city in the country to be equipped with ITS that uses data collection units to guide motorists with information on status of different stretches
