C-DAC device to rein in red signal violators

May 29, 2013

Jisha Surya, TNN |

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now, jump a traffic signal to be caught red handed. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has developed a new device — Intelligent Red Light Violation Identification System (iRIDS), which can capture red light violation automatically. The device is being installed at Keltron junction on a trial basis.

The iRIDS will bring foolproof evidences of red light violations, a solution for the crisis faced by traffic law enforcement agencies. Violations are captured with the help of vehicle sensor, cameras and the controller hardware installed at the junction. Unlike the other red light violation devices, iRIDS will provide vehicle and traffic signal in a single image. Not only the stills, the iRIDS also gives video footage of violations. A three-second video and three progressive snapshots recorded by iRIDS will be enough to catch red light jumpers. At present, the cameras operational in the city will only capture the image of the vehicle with its number plate in focus and the memo sent to the offender will explain that it was shot while he was driving past the signal.

Currently positioned at one arm of the traffic signal at Keltron, C-DAC has plans to shift the trial run to a four-arm junction. C-DAC is planning to approach Kerala Road Fund Board to install iRIDS at Vellayambalam Junction on trial basis. Currently, the junction has country’s first vehicle-actuated Wireless Traffic Control System (Wi-Trac), also developed by C-DAC.

C-DAC joint director G Satheesh said the speciality of iRIDS is that it will provide evidence of violations in a way common man could understand. “It also helps enforcement agencies in giving proof that could not be challenged in court,” he said.

The device was welcomed by transport department officials. Joint transport commissioner (enforcement) C M Said Mohammed said that they have no problem in upgrading to the system if it is found better than the present system. “We already have a system to check the red light jumping offence. We are ready to upgrade to the new system, provided C-DAC approaches us through the proper channel,” he said.

Currently, red light violation tracking systems provide separate image of traffic signal and vehicle. In iRIDS, the sensor, camera and controller work in a loop configuration. The sensor will detect vehicle presence from loops and trigger camera, which capture image of violated vehicles. It also capture image of the number plate. Using RTO database connectivity, the iRIDS could issue ticket with vehicle owners name and address. The device will work even in low light.

iRIDS was developed by C-DAC under ‘Intelligent Transportation System Endeavour (InTranSe) for Indian Cities’, a national-level collaborative research and development programme, funded by Union ministry of communication and information technology.

Experts emphasise role of telematics in road safety

May 29, 2013

Dileep Athavale, TNN

PUNE: Telecom experts have said there is an increasingly significant role for telematics in the road safety area as more and more cars are getting connected and becoming more intelligent.In a special paper released by the Society of Telecommunications Engineers on the occasion of World Telecom Day on Friday, the experts said telematics – the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics – can help manage live traffic updates, smart routing and tracking or rapid roadside assistance in case of accidents or breakdown.Automatic toll transactions, parking management, on-board entertainment, usage-based insurance and lots of other services can be brought within the ambit of telematics for traffic management, the paper underlined.

Road traffic safety is a global concern, not only for public health and injury prevention, but also to improve efficiencies in traffic management. A lot is being done in the area of Intelligent Transport Systems, ensuring driver safety that utilises a combination of computers, communications, positioning and automation technologies. It also includes in-car radars for collision avoidance, developing standards for safe user interfaces and communication systems in vehicles as well as optimising driving performance by eliminating unsafe technology-related distractions while driving.

The paper said tracking the wind speed, moisture on the surface due to oil spills and speed of vehicles, providing emergency call services and wide-angle cameras can be integrated into one highway management system in the near future. “A driver can receive this information through a pre-registered SIM card. Applications can send warning signals to drivers when a car’s oil or tyre pressure needs checking. Apps can also beam trip plans to the car’s navigation system,” the paper said.

Milind Pande, project director, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, said that mobile-to-machine or machine-to-mobile (M2M) communication was an emerging area in the field of telecom technologies. “It is possible to develop solutions for traffic congestion, accidents and emergency services that will change the way we look at infrastructure like expressways and can make it much safer,” he said.

In Asia, traditionally the market is driven by navigation and its associated services. The M2M market in India has now started evolving. The average age of car buyers is decreasing to 26 and with the country becoming more and more tech-savvy, a 3G and 4G-ready India is one of the fastest growing as well as the second largest telecom markets in the world.

Pande added, however, that there are certain challenges while implementing telecommunication systems on the highways in India. The sheer volume of vehicles makes it challenging for any organisation to capture and analyse high-speed data, integrate data coming from different devices and manage the system. There is no parameter of standardisation as far as these systems are concerned in India. Also, a major challenge is that even the high-end smartphone users are unaware of many useful applications, he said.

Delhi Police blamed for not having Intelligent Traffic Systems

May 29, 2013

GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR

While all world class cities possess Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) and their police have state-of-the-art video surveillance systems in place, which as in the case of the recent Deepak Bhardwaj murder would have made the escape of the assassins difficult, in Delhi installation or continuation of such advanced systems has got stalled due to the conduct of the Delhi Police itself, an audit report has noted.

In its latest report tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said ITS was introduced keeping in view the tremendous increase in traffic during the Commonwealth Games to establish state-of-the-art traffic management centres.

The CAG said neither did the Delhi Police, as per the Manual of Policies and Procedures of Employment of Consultants, constitute a Consultancy Evaluation Committee, which is required to carry out the consultant selection procedure for projects costing over Rs.10 lakh, nor did it constitute a Consultancy Monitoring Committee (CMC) to monitor the progress of the assignment and assess the quality of deliverables.

Rather, the Delhi Police directly appointed RITES as a consultant after seeking approval of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. This was done in 2009 for pre-investment activity and this led to delays in finalisation and inviting tenders and deficiencies in tender document.

“The Delhi Police appointed the consultant in February 2009, however, it invited tender in March 2010 for Cyber Highway i.e., after 13 months and again in July 2011. However it could not award the work due to non-response in the first tender process and scrapping of tender due to deficiencies,’’ the report observed. So it said, “ITS could not be implemented during 11 Plan even after incurring expenditure of Rs.7.50 crore. Thus Delhi Police by not following the manual, could not ensure due planning and diligence in appointment of the consultant and implementation of ITS resulting in non-implementation of the project and unfruitful expenditure of Rs.7.50 crore.’’ The CAG also found the reply of the Delhi Police in the matter “not acceptable’’ on the ground that the consultant was appointed on nomination basis’’ and the Purchase Committee on whose recommendation the tender was scrapped was not a CMC which would monitor the performance of the consultant.

In the case of the “City Video Surveillance System’’, which was one of the plan schemes of the Delhi Police during the 10 Plan and was undertaken to counter the “ill-designs of terrorists, control of crime, strengthening and upgrading the existing VVIP security apparatus and better traffic management,’’ the CAG noted that there was underutilisation of funds.

Source-http://www.thehindu.com/

Faster bus travel spells more commuters

May 10, 2013

Hindustan Times
May 09, 2013

Hindustan Times

May 09, 2013

The traffic situation in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta was similar to our national Capital. With car growth rate greater than the increase in road capacity (1.6 million cars in 2005 with car ownership growing by 10% every year, road growth at 1%), fast urbanisation led to traffic congestion and longer commutes.

Indonesian authorities decided to implement a bus rapid transit system named TransJakarta, which began operations in January 2004. TransJakarta was designed to provide citizens a fast public transport to reduce rush-hour traffic.

The buses run in special lanes and ticket prices are subsidised. In 2011, TransJakarta carried 115 million passengers which was an increase of 32% from the 87 million passengers in 2010. Currently it has the world’s longest BRT routes (172 km in length). HTC

Source  http://www.hindustantimes.com

Get traffic news on your smart phone

April 8, 2013

Get traffic news on your smart phone

Subhendu Ray, Hindustan Times  New Delhi, April 07, 2013

First Published: 00:16 IST(7/4/2013) | Last Updated: 01:43 IST(7/4/2013)

Real time updates on the traffic situation of the city will soon be at the fingertips of smart phone users.

Delhi Traffic Police, after the major success of its SMS updates informing about the congestion on roads, has now decided to come up with a smart phone software on the lines of those used in cities of the US and the UK.

The traffic police, which also provides updates to the residents through its Facebook and Twitter accounts, will introduce the software in an attempt to what it believes is keeping pace with changing times in a smart way.“We are soon going to introduce a software-based mobile application to give real time traffic related information to the road users,” said Sudhir Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic).

According to traffic police officers, the new system is expected to be up and running within two to three months. Initially, the smart phone application will provide information on distance between two locations, diversions, jam on roads due to breakdown of vehicles or rallies, traffic advisories, parking facilities, available mode of transport and estimated travel time.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/Popup/2013/4/07-04-13-pg-04b.jpg

However, officers said, they would later on update the application with other new features such as public transport fare for a particular distance travelled.“The offline application would also have an interactive map for the convenience of the traffic,” a police officer claimed.

Sources said the said application would be available in Iphone, BlackBerry, Android and all Windows-based phones. Once this app is installed, users would be able to access traffic reports of particular areas and know about roads in their neighbourhood, workplace or to any part of the city that they are visiting.

Traffic cops believe that with the introduction of the application, not only the regular city commuters but also those who visit the city from outside.The traffic police had discontinued their popular SMS service a few months ago reportedly due to a revision in the TRAI tariff structure.

http://www.hindustantimes.com

 

Now, traffic updates on your mobile

April 8, 2013

Now, traffic updates on your mobile

TNN Mar 19, 2011, 02.22am IST

PUNE: The traffic branch of the city police on Friday introduced an SMS service offering traffic alerts through which citizens would now receive regular updates on the traffic situation in the city.

The free SMS alert service was formally inaugurated by commissioner of police Meeran Chadha Borwankar on Friday. Borwankar said the information service would be greatly beneficial to citizens

Among those present on the occasion included additional commissioner of police Ashok Dhivare, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Manoj Patil and others.

For availing the service, citizens will have to send an SMS with the text ‘JOIN PTP’ to 09219592195. Citizens can also visit the Facebook page of the Pune Traffic Police. If anyone wants to discontinue the service, he would have to send an SMS ‘Leave PTP’, traffic officials said. tnn

Meanwhile, the work of developing an independent website of the city traffic police is in its final stages. The website would provide comprehensive details on all aspects related to the city’s traffic and transportation issues. The traffic SMS alert service will be linked to the website after the site is launched, the officials added.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Noise monitors may offer quiet relief from Capital din

April 1, 2013

Noise monitors may offer quiet relief from Capital din

 PREVENTION Monitoring centres to be set up at six locations to ensure better control of noise levels

Delhiites may soon get relief from the ever-rising, deafening noise levels in the metropolis.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will set up its first automatic noise monitoring centres at RK Puram, Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Anand Vihar, Civil Lines and IGI Airport.

“We are in the process of procuring equipment. Installation will begin soon. We will soon start monitoring real-time noise levels in the Capital,” said a senior DPCC official.

“Once these centres are operational, we can have better action plans and stricter enforcement,” he said.

Till now, the DPCC monitored noise levels manually. Efforts to curb rising noise levels in the city, a potential cause for ailments such as hearing impairment and sleep disorders, have not been effective because of lack of scientific monitoring and data collection. Noise control measures are taken and awareness campaigns are carried out only on special occasions such as Diwali.

The pollution committee is already using the six locations to monitor air quality. “We are procuring five-noise monitoring systems this financial year to have real-time noise monitoring data,” said a senior DPCC official. Six air quality monitoring stations established by the DPCC are providing round-the-clock information on ambient air quality in different parts of the Capital.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had in her budget speech promised noise monitoring centres this year. The Central Pollution Control Board has some monitoring centres in the Capital but they have not been effective because of their locations.

The the Delhi government’s latest economic survey says the city experiences excessive noise on account of large number of vehicles, including those coming from other areas, construction activities, DG sets and loudspeakers. “The number of vehicles registered in Delhi has increased from 24.32 lakh in 1994-95 to more than 74 lakh in March 2012,” the survey found.

In October last year, top environment department officials of the Delhi government told police and administrative officials to ensure effective enforcement of measures to curb noise pollution.

The focus was on effective implementation of the noise pollution (regulation and control) rules, 2000, and checking high sound levels after 10 pm as directed by the Supreme Court. A DPCC official admitted that noise pollution in Delhi was 10-14 decibels higher than the safe limit of 50 db.

 

Source-http://paper.hindustantimes.com

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