TMC to implement ATMS with the help of Google

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will soon synchronise the signal systems at prime junctions in the city with Google Maps sensors to intelligently manage traffic depending on the density of congestion.

In order to ease congestion, the municipal corporation has decided to implement a Rs 2.82Cr Adaptive Traffic Management System (ATMS) that uses satellite sensors. This concept was put forth in a discussion with the University of New South Wales, Australia. The university has signed a contract with the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway, Government of India.

The signals in the city will be fitted with specific sensors. The traffic density, speed and time taken at each signal will be studied and entered in Google Maps. Based on the crowd-sourced data, the system will do an intelligent analysis of signal timings. In case the traffic density at a particular signal is high while that of the next signal is low, the timing of both the signals can be managed accordingly to ease the congestion at both the points.

TMC have signed an agreement with Google on using the data mapped on its satellite imagery. Google is also planning to implement such a project for the first time and has chosen Thane from India for its pilot project.

At present, the signals in the city operate in a relay as per predetermined timings, which have no connection with the density of traffic. This leads to unnecessary delay even when there is a line of vehicles at the signal as the halt time does not change. The new system will help change the timings of the signal as per the traffic density at given time on a real-time basis.