Speed/Red Light Enforcement & Safety

Intelligent Traffic Management System in Bangalore

A similar scheme has also been implemented in Bangalore, where the State government has promised to spend `79Cr to help Bangalore police improve traffic management. Over the years, Bangalore has witnessed a phenomenal increase in its vehicular population, leading to several challenges in controlling road congestion. This situation made it necessary to upgrade the city’s traffic management system and resulted in the creation of the Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project, B-TRAC 2010.

The project involves the use of high-end technologies such as multifunctional devices, Vehicle actuated signals, wireless printers, surveillance cameras and back-end connectivity for facilitating real time traffic surveillance, monitoring and enforcement. It mainly involves installation of CCTV cameras & integrating it with Video Analytics and Command Center Platform. It further involves the setting up of modern signs and road markings all across the city and efforts for minor junction improvements to enable safe travel. Various traffic and road safety education and training activities have also been conducted with citizens and traffic personnel throughout the city for generating awareness about traffic rules and familiarising them with the latest technologies being adapted.

As a result of such consolidated traffic control and management effort, Bangalore today has a full-fledged traffic maintenance system. This has resulted in creating transparency in enforcing traffic rules and levying adequate and timely penalties. B-TRAC has also reduced the occurrence of road accidents in Bangalore and is creating a safe road environment for commuters

B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bangalore, said, “In Bangalore city, we have installed around 179 cameras mainly at the junctions. In addition to monitoring the congestion level, we also book visible offences/violation cases for example; stop-line violation, not stopping at the zebra-crossing or wearing helmet/seat-belt. It is like a contact-less booking of cases. We identify the violation and take the snapshot of the violation; with the help of RTO database, an e-challan is automatically generated and sent to the violators address.”

Three years back, the Bangalore police had procured around ten overspeed detection cameras from Turbo Consultancy and installed them in key areas in the city. The over speeding cameras also detects the red-light violations. The Bangalore Traffic Police has developed an app “Public Eye” through which citizens can take the picture of the violation & violator and upload it in their server. Based on this evidence, an e-challan is generated and sent to the violator’s residence, and the complainant list is updated in the website. Based on the cloud sourcing technology, the purpose of the initiative was to empower people.

However, Dayananda, explained, “When we try to implement the latest technology, there are many challenges like adaptability and customisation to Indian conditions. The traffic situation in India and abroad are diametrically opposite. In India, we have heterogeneous traffic, there is no traffic discipline and even the road infrastructure is minimal compared to other countries. Abroad, the traffic is more homogenous comprising either public transport or cars. The lane system is very well laid out and there are standarised number plates. We do not have that kind of ideal situation in India. Therefore implementing this technology is a challenge. Besides, there is a need for corresponding eco-systems like electricity, connectivity and most important of all…allocation of funds from the government.

Many a time, there is delay in implementation of project by the vendor. Moreover, the tender procedure is also very elaborate, & tedious and technical specification has to be worked out very clearly, otherwise there will not be right kind of technology.”

Smart Policing Initiatives in Hyderabad

Hyderabad has found an intelligent way to manage the traffic problems in the city in a smart way by using H-TRIMS (Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Management System). The first of its kind intelligent signaling system in the country comprises intelligent timers and vehicle detectors.

Developed by Bangalore based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the H-TRIMS is aimed at providing commuter-friendly traffic atmosphere and a state-of-the-art multi-purpose technology for the police. The intelligent signals will adjust themselves automatically by the traffic density and provide easy passage and warnings to other commuters in other places in case of excess traffic.

Moving in sync with technological advancement, the Hyderabad Traffic Police is introducing ‘Body Worn Cameras’ to be used during enforcement work under its ‘Smart Policing’ initiative. The high resolution audio-visuals will be recorded in the camera and stored in a memory card. Feeds can be seen live from the police control room through 4G technology. Use of wearable video cameras can bring measurable benefits to relation between the police and civilians. The body camera is effective during night as well. The proposed ‘Automatic Integrated Traffic Management System’ in Telangana will focus on stop-line violation, red signal jumping, wrong side movement and detect over- speeding and issue e-challan to the violators.

Modern signage boards and interceptor vehicles with 360 degree cameras to detect violations are among the new initiatives planned. As part of citizen friendly initiatives, only officers above SI rank are authorised to stop vehicles for checking documents during enforcement work, while lower rank officers are only allowed to record traffic violation by using electronic evidence.

Hyderabad has a system called as ARLVD (Automated Red Light Violation Detection) system and Recording. The cameras installed in the junction records the vehicle movement which does the ‘stop line jumping ‘and ‘red-light jumping’. The challans are issued to violators based on the videorecordings are also produced as a part of evidence.