After the success of a pilot project in northeast Bengaluru, the much-talked about and much-delayed synchronisation of traffic signals is finally set to be implemented.
However, the biggest hurdle for the synchronisation of signals, which will help turn a series of signals green at a stretch easing traffic flow, is that the signals are handled manually, as traffic distribution across various arms of a signal is erratic.
Thus synchronisation of signals needs an automatic system in place to manage dynamic traffic signals based on the volume of traffic across its various arms. That is exactly what Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) has achieved on a series of four signals from M.S. Ramaiah Hospital to BEL Circle in the pilot project.
Cameras and sensors embedded on the road leading to the junction collect data on the volume of traffic and feed the data to the signal system helping it to take a call on whether to turn green or red. Not just that, the data is fed to all the signals along the corridor ahead of synchronising them. However, for this to be achieved, all the traffic signals in the corridor need to be networked.
“With this project, all the signals in the city cannot have a unified control as the traffic flow patterns are unique to a particular area. So a particular set of signal corridors will have to be controlled by an area traffic control that will be set up in due course,” said M.N. Srihari, traffic adviser to the State government.
“We are working on adapting the technology across most of the signal corridors in the city under the second phase of B-TRAC,” said R. Hitendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
Mr. Srihari said there were several rounds of meetings before the technology was finalised. Two programmes — developed for Indonesian and Australian traffic — were considered. The Indonesian technology was selected for Bengaluru. “The Australian model was primarily designed for car traffic alone with near uniform speed in mind. But the Indonesian model is designed for mixed traffic — cars, two-wheelers, autorickshaws and public transport with varying speeds,” he said.
Work on the project is expected to begin soon with the tenders all set to be called in June.
However, right now there is no provision for emergency vehicles?If the volume of traffic is the sole basis for traffic signal management, where will that leave the much-needed priority for the movement of emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire tenders? This is yet to be factored into the model planned for the city.
In the present setup, any such movement has to be arranged for by manually suspending synchronisation, like it is presently being done for green corridors to transport cadaver organs.
M.N. Srihari, traffic adviser to the State government who is involved in implementing the project, said that in Indonesia, emergency vehicles are given a hand-held device through which signals in a particular corridor can be manipulated.
The traffic police had prepared a detailed report (DPR) for a Rs. 72-crore project wherein emergency vehicles and traffic signals will be fitted with GPS devices and receptors turning a signal green when an emergency vehicle is within 800 metres.
The project saw allocation of funds in the 2015–16 budget and is presently with the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. Tenders were called last year but in vain. However, the project is now being considered a huge overspend for an outdated technology.
A senior traffic officer said that urbanist Ashwin Mahesh had proposed replacing the Rs. 72-crore project with a simple Android-based app for emergency vehicles. “All smartphones are now equipped with GPS. If an ambulance driver commences a trip like in any cab service, the vehicle’s movement can be easily tracked at the Traffic Management Centre and the traffic signal corridor manipulated accordingly to provide a green corridor,” said Mr. Mahesh.
A senior traffic officer said that while most signals were being manually operated, they can also be remotely operated from the Traffic Management Centre or the Area Traffic Control centres that are proposed to be set up.
Number of traffic signals in the city: 353
HOW IT WORKS?
Junctions equipped with cameras to capture data of traffic volumes at various arms of the signal
Roads leading to the junction embedded with sensors
All the signals in the corridor to be networked — data feed from cameras and sensors to help the software take a call either to turn the signal red or green.
Pilot project
New BEL Road corridor: four signals
M.S. Ramaiah Hospital – ISRO Junction – Devasandra Junction – BEL Circle
Other corridors proposed
HAL Airport Road
Chord Road
South End Circle to Town Hall
Town Hall to Majestic along K.G. Road
Ballari Road
Hosur Road
