An electronic guide to ease commuting

An electronic guide to ease commuting
Traffic police instal first two of the 50 Variable Message Sign boards coming up in the city that will warn commuters of the bottlenecks ahead
B K LAKSHMIKANTHA


Bangalore City Traffic Police are taking a major step to ease the woes of commuters — they are planning to instal Variable Message Sign (VMS) boards at key points in the city to constantly inform the motorists about traffic jams ahead and the possible alternative routes they can take.
Terming the system as the first of its kind in the country, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) Praveen Sood said, “Two such VMS boards have been installed near K R Puram flyover and in Sampangirama Nagar near Pallavi cinema hall on trial basis which will be fully operational within 10 days.”
Panduranga H Rane, DCP, West (Traffic) said the boards will display information about road blocks, heavy traffic and processions on particular stretches as fed into them from the automation centre and suggest commuters alternative routes to reach their destination.
“To manage the traffic efficiently and scientifically with the available human resources, we have launched an interim Traffic Management Centre (TMC). It receives live video footage from surveillance cameras installed at 160 major junctions and signal violations from five enforcement cameras. Altogether 301 traffic signals are linked to the centre through lease line managed by the experts,” Sood said.
“Soon, most of the traffic signals will be vehicle actuated. This is a precursor to a full-fledged TMC which will be ready within 18 months of time. We are spending Rs 13 crore on the project,” he said, adding that the ultimate aim is to set up an Intelligent Transport System comprised of the TMC equipped with 160 surveillance cameras, five enforcement cameras, 50 VMS boards and 400 major traffic signals connected to it through lease line.”
MAJOR TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS
Banashankari Bus stop Manipal Hospital Old Madras Road N R Square Hudson Circle Richmond Circle Bellary Road Mysore Road Tumkur Road Old Airport Road K G Circle Majestic area