Page 24 - TT mag Sept 2025 Digital Edition

ITS

Rethinking Congestion Management

The Evolving Role of ATCS in Smart Cities

More than 50 Smart Cities across India have implemented Adaptive Traffic Control Systems
(ATCS). Despite this investment, road networks remain highly congested during peak hours, raising
critical questions for urban planners and traffic engineers. Are these ATCS installations effective?
Would congestion be worse without them? What can be realistically expected from an ATCS, and
ultimately, how can we leverage technology to reduce urban congestion? Rajesh Krishnan, CEO, ITS
Planners and Engineers Private Limited, explores these questions and examines the evolving role of
ATCS beyond simple signal optimisation.

t a fundamental level, Traffic is a stochastic process, calibration parameters to make
ATCS is designed to with vehicles arriving at junctions real-time adjustments to signal
reduce congestion. Most at irregular intervals. Consequently, timings. These parameters must
systems installed in India VA-like functionality that adapts to be calibrated correctly during
Autilise tactical green-time these random arrival patterns can commissioning and recalibrated
adjustment logic, terminating a be reasonably expected to improve periodically to maintain optimal
signal stage when it is not being traffic flow. Furthermore, a modern performance. Without a structured
used efficiently. This is often ATCS harmonises flows across programme for configuration
achieved through Vehicle Actuated multiple junctions by optimising review and recalibration, an
(VA) like logic, where green signals cycle times and offsets holistically ATCS solution cannot deliver its
are terminated or extended based over a wider area, creating a full potential. Cities must employ
qualified technical personnel to
on vehicle presence or gaps, smoother traffic experience. perform these tasks and hold them
thereby minimising wasted green If ATCS is effective, why do major accountable for key congestion-
time. This efficient management of intersections remain congested related metrics. Secondly, if
time-share between different traffic during peak hours? Firstly, ATCS traffic demand exceeds the road
streams reduces unnecessary delays is not a plug-and-play solution. network’s capacity, even the most
at intersections. These systems rely on site-specific sophisticated algorithm cannot

24 SEPTEMBER 2025 • TrafficInfraTech • www.trafficinfratech.com