Monday, February 24, 2014

Traffic management system lying dust at MHA

A mega traffic management project worth Rs 500 crore for city to ensure smooth clearance emergency response vehicles at busy traffic intersections is laying dust for around for one year at Ministry of Home Affairs due to financial crunch. Despite getting it evaluated by a private consultant in 2012 end, the project is still a no go at the ministry.

The emergency response vehicles – police control room vans, fire tender vehicles and ambulances – reach late at hospitals or on the spot as they get stuck at various traffic congestion. Though the city cops help them out manually to give green light wherever they are stuck, however, lack of modernisation of traffic management system have forced the people to suffer on daily basis.

Taking note of this, the ministry planned mordernisation of over traffic scenario of the city and thereafter had engaged a private consulting firm -- Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) – to evaluate of technology-based remedies to such problems.

In March 2013, the PwC prepared the project – Intelligent Traffic Management System -- and submitted before ministry but so far the lawmakers are still thinking over it.

“If the system is implemented than the emergency response vehicles will have to no more get stuck in traffic intersections. The system was conceptualised to improve mobility, discipline and safety of the commuters on the city roads,” said a senior police officer.

The intelligent traffic systems would be internet protocol based and all the 800 traffic intersections of the city would be monitored by various cameras. It will have traffic detecting sensors, closed-circuit television cameras and speed-detection radars and traffic violations cameras.

The system will also have speed control, speed detection, dynamics and variable cameras. “It will also have message display boards. It will also help in congestion management and active management of traffic lights,” the officer said.

The system will not only ease traffic management but also automatically detect traffic violators and challan them. The system will also be able to calculate the number of cars at the intersections and accordingly change signals to clear traffic. “It will ensure that maximum number of vehicles is cleared at any given time by giving precedence to roads with larger volumes,’ add the officer.

Not only that, there are around hundreds of people killed in road accidents by unidentified vehicles during night hours. “The various cameras installed will help in identifying the errant drivers,” he said.

In the existing traffic management system, things are being handled manually. But once the intelligent traffic system would be in place, there would be seamless functioning of the entire network. All the 800 traffic intersection will be connected with internet.

The evaluation was not only based on today need of traffic management but visualizing traffic problems the city will witness 20 years down the line.

Unlike metropolitan cities in western countries where this traffic system is in place for last several years, city is still stuck in outdated obsolete traffic system.

Fine for not allowing emergency vehicles 

For not giving way to emergency response vehicles, one would be challened Rs 2000 as the city police has sent a notification to the state transport department to make the fine to Rs 2000.

Under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicle Act the state government or any authority authorised in behalf by the government has power to restrict the use of vehicles and the state transport department.

The emergency vehicles include ambulance, fire brigade vehicles and PCR vans. But VIP vehicles with red beacon are not considered as emergency vehicles.

In Motor Vehicle Act the provision is the violator would be challaned Rs 100, however, under section 115 of the Motor Vehicle Act the state government has power to increase the fine.

ENDS

No comments:

Post a Comment