Eye in the sky’ mans traffic

Eye in the sky’ mans traffic
The Times of India

Bangalore:
Time: Peak hour traffic.
Situation 1: Some students are stranded at the busiest intersection on Airport Road, opposite Manipal Hospital. “Help those students,’’ screamed an instruction on the wireless. The constable was caught off guard, as the message came from a senior officer at his office on Infantry Road.

Situation 2: Vehicles have stopped on the ‘zebra crossing’ at the intersection after a stop (red) signal. The wireless said: “Move those vehicles back. The white Ambassador and the blue car too.’’

Situation 3: A vehicle breaks down near the Ring Road junction and traffic piles up. “Divert other vehicles away from the affected area.’’

An eye in the sky has been capturing images for the last three weeks to avert traffic jams and making it smooth for VIP convoys or even pedestrian movement. They are all being monitored. Shopkeepers and regular motorists on the busy road say the traffic situation on the stretch is better in the last two weeks.

What is this eye in the sky? It is the first traffic monitoring camera installed on top of the Manipal Hospital building, as part of a project to decongest the busy Airport Road. The camera can pan 360 degrees, zoom in to vehicle registration numbers and can also record clippings for a database.

Additional Commissioner (Traffic) M N Reddi, who closely monitors images from the camera from his office, said: “The system helps in monitoring traffic, booking cases for violations, pedestrian movement and VIP movement. It can also be used for law and order situations.’’

It will also help in transparency of working of the personnel as they know “they are being watched,’’ he added.
The pilot project is being done with equipment from a Hong Kong-based company.

Though the camera can be panned, it should be installed in the corridor (eg. on a tall lamp post on the median) for a better view of the stretch, he added. The full-fledged project to improve conditions on Airport Road includes modernisation of signals that will work for synchronisation, widening of roads that will enhance capacity up to 30 per cent, clearing trees and shifting of bus stops.

While around 25 more critical locations have been identified for installing these cameras, Reddi said that the system would soon evolve into a traffic command centre where few constables are required to man signals.

Naveen, an engineer who travels to his office in Whitefield every day, said: “Vehicles are not piling up for too long during rush hour, specially in the evening. Traffic moves much faster.’’ “Earlier, motorists would use the footpath near the junction. It was dangerous for pedestrians. Recently, police have begun to check movement of vehicles,’’ said a tea vendor near the junction.