Managing traffic real-time with Google data

The Kolkata Police wants to deal with the long vehicle queues at major traffic junctions in the city by introducing an inbuilt algorithm based on the using the Google line traffic data that can calculate the traffic queue at an intersection and predict the exact signal cycle according to the shifting real-time needs. Kolkata police has phased out standalone signals in which calibrations were cumbersome due to varying clock timings.

If the Google line traffic data indicates that there is a queue beyond 100 metres, immediate alerts will be sent to the control room and the concerned traffic guard to initiate corrective action. A separate software has been developed to determine the nature of vehicles as well. A team from Lalbazar will monitor the congested corridors. The concerned traffic guard will submit a report to the team about the congestion and the steps taken to improve the flow of traffic. This will include a report on how long the signal had to be operated manually to bring the situation under control.