Catalyst for Change on Indian Roads

Australia based Metrocount’s MC5600 is designed for temporary surveys and recording of vehicle information, volumes, class, speed and direction

With over 10 years of engagement in the collection of traffic data on Indian roads, MetroCount has been battling with the issue of poor lane discipline. While the MetroCount systems are known worldwide for their superior accuracy, the lack of lane discipline signidicantly influences the collection process. in this case a few problems have emerged :

• Vehicles travelling at a nonperpendicular angle will record each wheel rather than each axle.
•  Vehicles travelling in two lanes will be recorded in each lane.

The effects of these issues are amplified with the increase in congestion, volume and number of lanes. Monitoring a single lane road with low volume would likely result in much cleaner data than a multilane freeway with heavy congestion.

Overcoming the Indian roads challenge is one of MetroCount’s priorities. Mark Eyre, International Sales Manager and Maurice Berger, Technical Sales Specialist  are working together with leading Indian road authorities to find solutions. A quick fix to assure and maintain lane discipline would be to force drivers into physically divided ways. However, besides its high cost, this measure doesn’t address the underlying issue of inappropriate driver behaviour.

“In recent years, Indian authorities have opted for a more desirable approach to improving road conditions. They have established new regulations and have invested in educational campaigns. To measure their impact and to capture the current state of Indian traffic, numerous MC5600 Portable Traffic Classifier units have been installed across the country”, says, Maurice Berger.

The MC5600 is the most popular product of the MetroCount range. Designed for temporary surveys, this system stores every axle that passes over its two pneumatic tube sensors. Designed for temporary surveys, this system records not only the vehicles’ volume but also their class, speed, direction, headway, and gap, providing a complete overview of traffic activity.

The diverse parameters that MC5600 provides are further processed and interpreted by the MetroCount Traffic ExecutiveTM software. Through its assortment of analyses and reports, the MTETM reveals latent KPI, enabling various applications. From building a compelling funding demand, to determining the optimal thickness of road surfacing based on classification and volume data. From improving road safety through speed monitoring to assessing gap-acceptance capacity, the MC5600 is the ideal equipment for investigating all road’s conditions.

“Although the efficiency of our collective efforts is yet to be seen, we are confident that India is slowly transitioning to a sustainable mentality, and we are proud to contribute to this change.”