TrafficInfraTech Magazine Linking People Places & Progress
Pink Express
The UP Government seems to have its eyes set on making the state women-friendly. Lucknow, along with five other cities in the state, will have an exclusive intra-city bus service called ‘Sakhi’. Speaking to TrafficInfraTech, Mukesh Meshram, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, said, “We are aware that women face a lot of hassles while commuting in the city. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to launch an intra-city bus service exclusively for women. In a month`s time, Lucknow, along with Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra and Mathura would have their own bus service for the women.”
The State Government has set up a Dedicated Urban Transportation Fund, which has a kitty of `225Cr per annum. This money will be utilised for the procurement of new buses and improvement of infrastructure.
In February, UPSRTC started long route women special buses called ‘Pink Express’ on Lucknow- Delhi route. This new air conditioned 2 x 2 seat bus is equipped with Vehicle Tracking System, which will monitor each and every aspect of the vehicle’s movement ranging from over speeding and sudden halts to on-board misbehaviour and illegal halts. The authorities have also installed CCTV cameras in the bus. The 40-seater bus has facility for Wi-Fi, LED TV, laptop and mobile phone charging and of course, sealed water bottle during the journey.
Besides installing cameras in 100 buses in NCR region, major bus-stands in cities like Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Varnasi, Agra will be equipped with CCTV cameras. UP will be the first state in the country to have Vehicle Tracking System in 9500 buses installed by Mumbai-based Trimax IT Infrastructure. In case of emergency, the buses also has another feature ‘panic button’. Soon, UPSRTC will have a fully-functional command centre in Lucknow equipped with Video-Wall Surveillance System.
Smart Traffic System for Navi Mumbai
With a vision to implement a holistic and integrated surveillance system in Navi Mumbai, the government of Maharashtra decided to align with Cisco for a connected physical security solution that would transform the way people, property and infrastructure in the city would be protected. A video surveillance system was implemented in order to enhance the overall safety and security of the city, address concerns pertaining to likely violation of law and order, traffic violations, turnaround time for crime resolution and act as an aid to investigation.
The solution included latest video surveillance and analytics technology which provides live camera updates and alerts and ensures that no security breaches are missed due to human error or oversight. Part of the solution are IP based outdoor security cameras located across the city which have the ability to monitor, detect, alert and record attacks, theft, vehicular movement, and human movement. The video surveillance data from various cameras deployed at strategic locations in the city are stored, monitored and analysed in a centralized control room. Intelligent reporting, Command and Control Engine & alert generation mechanisms enable faster and efficient decision making and help to put in place preventive security mechanisms as needed.
“Modern tools and systems
of enforcement are not
available to traffic police
authorities except in major
metropolitan cities.”
Arvind Salvi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Navi Mumbai, said, “At present we are having CCTV cameras for Traffic Surveillance. The feeds from the cameras are monitored at the Command Center in the police headquarters. To introduce any kind of latest technology in a city, there are two aspects. First, there is a need for funds and secondly, the technology has to be properly utilized and maintained.”
Work is underway to implement an evidence-based challan system for traffic violations in Navi Mumbai. There are around 250 CCTV cameras at junctions. Plans are afoot to introduce the evidence-based challan system in the city. There are also plans to introduce the electronic surveillance system. While the CCTV-enabled challan system is still at the administrative stage and slated to be implemented in coming months, the system of issuing e-challan on the spot is in the final stage.
In Navi Mumbai, the CCTV system will be upgraded to take images of registration number of vehicle flouting rules. If a motorist jumps signal, a snapshot of the vehicle’s registration number will be taken and printed on the challan, which will be posted to the motorist’s home. E-challans will also be issued on the spot for traffic violation.
Armed with Android devices and a printer, traffic officers can monitor motorists and also issue e-challans. The Android devices have 3G internet. As soon as an officer puts a smart licence or smart RC book in the designated slot, the driver’s name, address and insurance details, and the vehicle’s engine number are displayed on the screen. All these details appear on the printed challans. If a driver gives paper licence or RC book, then the police enter the vehicle registration number on the device. Within a few seconds, the officer can get all the details of the owner of that vehicle on our screen.
Road Ahead
While the above initiatives show immense promise, we need to develop standards of roads and customize traffic control devices to suit Indian conditions and mixed traffic conditions and need to update our legislation. In all, India has started taking baby steps in implementation of intelligent traffic management systems and integrated transport management system but the country still has a long way to go.
Preeti Swaminathan