L&T Technology Services bets on smart machines

October 8, 2014

Mumbai: L&T Technology Services, a unit of India’s largest engineering and construction company Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), is betting on smart and connected machines in the belief that analytics and the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) will shape the future of engineering. The firm that offers solutions for product design, prototyping and testing and embedded system design, among others, partnered US-based Proximetry, Inc., an IOT device management solutions provider, in January, to cater to the market of connected devices that are critical when operating electrical substations and large industrial facilities.

On 25 September, it announced a tie-up with Cisco Systems, Inc. to jointly invest in a global solution centre in Bangalore to work on connectivity and convergence-based solutions. “We are starting with 3-4 projects in the transportation sector, and are in the process of building the team. Some of the work has been demonstrated in the past in L&T. The idea is to explore how we can work with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies to make railways, metros, and other mass transit modes more productive, intelligent and safe with the help of Internet protocol (IP)-based communications, Wi-Fi services, video surveillance, and automated operations,” Keshab Panda, chief executive of L&T Technology Services, said in an interview. Cisco’s connected transportation solutions aim at providing a centralized view of highway systems, enabling vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communication so that automobiles can “talk” to each other and with traffic lights, roads, toll plazas, rail crossings and roadside cameras. The solutions also envisage real-time alerts on weather, traffic, and emergencies besides providing greater collaboration between emergency and transit operators and agencies. L&T Technology Services, said Panda, also hopes to take advantage of L&T’s strength in the transportation infrastructure and rail transportation sectors, before “expanding to other areas such as manufacturing, defence, and the off-highway transport segment”.

L&T Technology Services, known as L&T Integrated Engineering Services (IES) till it was rebranded in September 2012, has about 9,500 employees and had revenue of about Rs.2,150 crore in the year ended 31 March, according to Panda. “By the end of this fiscal (2014-15), we will become a $450 million (about Rs.2,750 crore) turnover company,” said Panda, adding that the company gets only 3-4% of its revenue from L&T, and over 50% from the Americas, little over 20% from Europe, and the remaining portion, from the rest of the world. The company, said Panda, also plans to make small acquisitions. In June, L&T Technology Services acquired a 74% stake in Thales Software India Pvt. Ltd for an undisclosed sum to expand its avionics business. “In the next 15 days, we will acquire a US-based analytical and manufacturing engineering company that has operations in India. But we won’t be spending more than $50 million on any acquisition,” Panda said. In a 11 June interview, L&T executive chairman A.M. Naik had said the initial public offering (IPO) process for L&T Infotech and L&T Technology Services will start in July 2016. Naik had then also spoken about “…small-ticket acquisitions of around $30-40 million for its engineering services company”. Analysts see a lucrative business opportunity in technologies that enable devices to communicate with each other. In a 16 September note, research firm Gartner Inc. forecast that the installed base of “things”, excluding personal computers, tablets and smartphones, will grow to 26 billion units in 2020, adding there will be a $309 billion incremental revenue opportunity in 2020 for IOT suppliers from delivering products and services.

Software lobby group Nasscom expects the engineering and research and development (R&D) outsourcing industry in India to touch $40 billion by 2020 from the current $10-11 billion mark with automotive, telecom, retail and aerospace industries expected to outsource 40% of their engineering activities to engineering service providers by 2020. But the competition is stiff, too. Big- and mid-sized Indian IT services providers like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd, Wipro Ltd, Tech Mahindra Ltd, KPIT Technologies Ltd and Tata Technologies Ltd also have big clients in the engineering vertical, and partner with networking companies to provide similar solutions that take advantage of technologies like M2M or Machine-to-Machine (where information is collected by a sensor transmitted across a network of wired or wireless devices), and smart meters—that monitor consumption and use analytics.

The fact remains, though, that the engineering services segment is at “an inflection point with significant shifts in business models, increased demand for solutions and globalization driving up the competition amongst global players”, as noted in the ‘Global R&D Service Providers Rating 2013’ annual study by advisory firm Zinnov Management Consulting.This should alert engineering service providers, said the study, to look at opportunities such as “engineering analytics” since global companies are expected to spend over $27 billion on engineering analytics. Panda believes data analytics in engineering is far more complex than it is in the retail sector. “You have to account for factors like current, voltage, harmonics, etc., and know how to fix it,” he explained, concluding that the success of IOT-enabled sensors lie in reducing their cost, “something that we’re working on”.

Source:live mint

Can intelligent transportation systems solve India’s traffic congestion problems?

September 17, 2014

In 2012, an IIM-Transport Corporation of India study revealed that India loses Rs 60,000 crore a year due to congestion. For most citizens, traffic congestion and unpredictable travel-time delays are problems that is already factored in their daily lives.  Can technology help in clearing traffic congestion? In India, a first step for testing whether technology can help in clearing congestion is being tried out in the city of Ahmedabad by a company called Zero-Sum ITS.  Once implemented, this solution will be showcased as a mechanism of using technology to aid in decongesting traffic conditions in other cities. Understanding that the high cost of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) undermines its importance, the firm has customized the solution to best suit Indian conditions. The ITS solution uses a hybrid model of gathering vehicle information on the roads from camera based traffic sensors and GPS information from vehicles.  The collected traffic information is sent to a cloud based control center which then analyses the gathered traffic information to understand the traffic flow and congested areas in the target area. The ITS solution then displays the processed information onto huge electronic information boards that are placed approximately 200 meters before every traffic light. This information will aid motorists in making a decision on which roads to avoid and taking up alternate routes to reach their destination. A cloud-based control center negates the need for having to setup up a physical control center with manned personnel and manual intervention through a tablet computing device. This enables the police to control the solution in case of an emergency from any location within the city.   “The key goal of the ITS solution being implemented by Zero-Sum is to ensure better traffic management by providing more information to road users and enabling them to plan their trips optimally thereby reducing travel time, saving fuel and decongesting busy roads,” says Chikara Kikuji, Managing Director, Zero Sum ITS.  Key components of the traffic management solution Based on a traffic study undertaken by Zero-Sum in cooperation with the Ahmedabad Traffic Police and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Zero-Sum will install ten camera based traffic sensors across various locations on 132 Feet Ring Road of Ahmedabad. These sensors will gather information on the traffic flow including speed, density, vehicle classification and send the information to a cloud based traffic control center. This center will receive the information from the traffic sensors and the traffic police will process the information that needs to be shared with the public regarding the traffic jams in the city. This center will not require any physical space to be setup thereby eliminating the need of having to allocate space inside the Ahmedabad police station for the hosting of the ITS solution. The solution will be hosted through a cloud data center and therefore no physical set-up is required in Ahmedabad. The ITS setup will include setting up of four electronic information boards across key road junctions in Ahmedabad. These information boards will receive what information is to be displayed from the traffic control center and will display to the public which roads are congested and the de-tour route to take so as to avoid entering into the traffic jam or congested areas. For the dual purpose of providing real time traffic updates and gathering traffic information, mobile phone users in Ahmedabad city will be provided mobile applications that can be downloaded free of cost. This application will also have useful information such as city map, important POI (Point of Interest) locations such as gas stations, shopping malls and restaurants. As part of the ITS trial solution, five tablet computing devices will be made available to key personnel of Ahmedabad Traffic Police allowing them to control what information needs to be shown on each of the Electronic Information boards. Therefore, in an emergency, the traffic personnel can operate the solution from anywhere across the city. The entire cost of the ITS solution, its implementation, training and maintenance will be borne by Zero-Sum with no cost being charged to the local Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation or Traffic police. Zero-Sum will monetize the solution by using 50 percent screen space of the Electronic Information Board to display commercial advertisements. These advertisements will not be shown during any emergency and the advertisements shown will only be static advertisements without any video content so that motorists are not distracted. The system can easily expanded for implementation across an entire city and can integrate with other traffic management/ enforcement systems including parking systems, disaster management and weather systems. Beyond traffic management If used intelligently, the system can greatly help in detecting incidents – by pinpointing locations of accidents or vehicle breakdowns. This is extremely important in handling emergency situations.  The ITS solution can also help in classifying vehicles, which in turn helps in planning the road width and the space of the pavement.The same solution can be effectively used for monitoring pollution and road quality. Once the foundation for intelligent transportation systems is laid, the same can be extended for further benefits such as traveler information, road management, public transport management and incident and hazard response.

MMRDA plans to transform BKC into a ‘smart city’

September 17, 2014

MUMBAI: With a view to attract investor interests and get a premium pricing for its remaining land bank, the city’s planning authority MMRDA plans to transform the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) into a ‘smart city’.

“We want to provide such basic amenities that will transform BKC into a smart city, which will strengthen its brand value,” Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Additional Commissioner Sanjay Sethi told PTI.

He said the authority is contemplating to provide facilities like wi-fi in the region, smart parkings, street lights with focus on energy efficiency, among others.

“We have been studying on this proposal for the past six months. We are yet to finalise the plan as we are working on its nitty-gritties,” he said adding, “We are yet to decide whether to cover the entire BKC with wi-fi or some portions and how to provide energy-efficient solutions through solar power.”

Sethi said the authority is working on the feasibility of supplying excess power generated from solar lighting to the common grid and also how it can earn carbon credits, if any.

“We are studying how we can provide video analytics. Instead of just putting up CCTVs, we are studying how such a system can be integrated in such a way that in case of emergency its services can be deployed immediately,” Sethi said.

He said the upcoming International Convention Centre, being developed by Reliance Industries (RIL), will also attract investors.
“They are developing around 2,000 car parking spaces out of which 1,000 will be allotted to MMRDA. These we plan to monitor through video analytic system. Also we will be creating recreational spaces,” Sethi said.

When asked about the estimated cost of the project, he said, “It will be too premature to talk about the cost of the project now as they are yet to finalise on whether to implement the project on BOT basis or EPC or both.”

Source:Economic Times

Intelligent driving solutions feature in new Motor Bill

September 15, 2014

NEW DELHI: Intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control and eye drowsiness detectors are some of the features proposed in new Motor Bill that seeks to prevent at least 2 lakh road accident deaths in next five years through hefty penalties and jail-terms.

The Narendra Modi government has unveiled an ambitious ‘vision’ for reducing road fatalities by 20 per cent annually as part of the draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014, concerned over an alarming 1.38 lakh road accident deaths, the highest in the globe.

Motor Vehicles regulation provides for “technologies such as intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control, eye drowsiness detectors, distance closure rate detection and green box monitoring,” as per the draft unveiled yesterday.

Driver drowsiness detection is a car safety device which prevents accidents when the driver is getting drowsy.

The Bill is aimed at bringing down fatalities in road accidents by two lakh in the first five years in a scenario where India reports around 5 lakh road accidents annually.

The Bill provides for simplified single-window automated driving licence systems including unified biometric systems to avoid licence duplication.

Among various measures to ensure road safety, the draft provides for wearing of belt by driver and passenger.

“A person is guilty of an offence if such person does not wear a seat belt, as a driver or passenger, when driving or riding in a motor vehicle on a road,” it said.

Also, the draft makes it mandatory for bus and other passengers to wear seat belts.

In case of children below 8 years it says, “except as provided by regulations, a parent or guardian of the child, or in the absence of such parent or guardian, the driver of the motor vehicle must not without reasonable excuse allow a child below the age of eight years to occupy the front seat of a motor vehicle when the vehicle is in motion.”

The Bill provides for up to Rs 5,000 penalty for violation of provisions related to wearing seat belts while in case of head gears it is Rs 2,500.

Seeking to come down heavily on traffic offenders, it proposes penalty of up to Rs 3 lakh along with a minimum 7-year imprisonment for death of a child in certain circumstances, besides huge fines for driving violations.

It also proposes a fine of Rs 5 lakh per vehicle as well as imprisonment for faulty manufacturing design, besides cancellation of licences for rash and negligent driving.

The Bill, unveiled by Road Transport and Highways Ministry for seeking suggestion from stakeholders, proposes penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment for six months which may extend to one year or both in case of using vehicle in unsafe conditions

First offence for drunk driving will attract “Rs 25,000 fine, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or with both, and a six-month license suspension.”

“Second offence within three years will result in Rs 50,000 penalty or imprisonment for up to one year or both and a one year licence suspension.

“Any subsequent offence shall result in the cancellation of the licence, and impounding of the vehicle which may extend for 30 days,” draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014 said.

If school bus drivers are caught driving drunk, Rs 50,000 fine will be imposed with imprisonment for three years while “immediate cancellation” of licence will take place in case of drivers in the age-group of 18 to 25 years involved in such incidences.

Causing death of a child in certain circumstances will result in “Rs 3 lakh fine, and imprisonment for a term not less than 7 years” while violating traffic signal three times will result in Rs 15,000 fine, licence cancellation for a month and a compulsory refresher training, it said.

It also provides for graded point system for imposing fines.

The ministry has sought comments from public and stakeholders on the Bill and will thereafter finalise it for presentation to Parliament and passage during the ensuing winter session.

Commenting on the Bill, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said: “Providing safe, efficient, cost effective and faster transport across the country is our mission…Our new Bill gives emphasis on E-governance to bring in transparency in the transport sector. Our new ‘golden hour’ policy will provide immediate relief to accident victims and will help save lakhs of lives.

The Golden Hour policy provides for treatment to road accident victims within one hour.

Other features include unified vehicle registration system, single National Road Transport & Multinational Coordination Authority and Goods Transport and National Freight Policy.

It encompasses provisions for safety of vehicles, including implementation of safety equipment of motor vehicles.

The Bill has been drafted in sync with the best practises of six advanced nations – US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the UK.

It aims to ensure electronic detection and centralised offences information to identify repeat-offenders.

The Bill proposes constitution of Highway Traffic Regulation and Protection Force constituted and maintained by the state governments, for the purpose of effective policing and enforcement of traffic regulations on highways.

The Bill proposes a Motor Accident Fund for the purpose of providing compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the territory of India.

Several provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, especially those related to penalties for violations, have not been found to be effective in checking road accidents. The Act was last amended in 2001.

Source:The Economic Times

Austrian firm to implement intelligent traffic system on Noida e-way

November 13, 2013

Vandana Keelor, TNN |

 

NOIDA: The Noida Authority is all set to implement a hi-tech Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway from December. The Authority on Tuesday selected an Austrian company to roll out the Rs 26.8 crore project that is expected to bring down the accident rate on the road by about 25%.Officials said the system will be in place within six months of implementation. Efkon India Limited, which is part of the Austrian parent company Starpack, has already implemented this high-tech system on Yamuna Expressway. For the ITS to be effective, the Authority also plans to set up a Rs 36 crore Traffic Park to teach commuters traffic sense.The move comes in the wake of a safety audit by Central Road Research Institute carried out in July this year. According to the report, the expressway is a death-trap for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Speeding cars and light commercial vehicles are the primary cause of road accidents. Noida Authority had invited global consultants to launch the project after getting a nod from IIT-Delhi.Officials said that the ITS is expected to monitor and manage traffic flow on the expressway. “The system will minimize accidents,” said Sandeep Chandra, the technical head for the project, who also holds charge of traffic in the city.

Since its inception in 2002, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway has been the site of hundreds of deaths. Around 55 people have lost their lives while hundreds have been injured this year already. “Accident rate on the expressway will decline if the traffic police can strictly enforce rules along with the implementation of the ITS. Around 50% accidents occur due to lack of traffic sense among commuters, which needs to change,” Chandra said.

With the ITS, cameras would be placed at a height of 14 metres to detect movement up to a distance of 280 metres. Large LED display boards will caution motorists about road and weather conditions.

The system will also help measure traffic data in real time, detect incidents and congestions automatically and inform road users about travel time, road closures, diversions, rerouting and all major events. “Important features would include a control room, emergency call box, message signboards, CCTV cameras, speed cameras, automatic number plate readers, VID camera and meteorological data system,” Chandra said.

The most important feature of the system will be reduced response time to an accident. ITS will guide road users to adapt speed to ensure smoother flow of traffic and help coordinate policing and emergency services. “The expressway will be under surveillance 24/7 which will also help curb crime on the e-way,” Chandra said.

Intelligent traffic system mooted

August 16, 2013

DC | S.N.V. Sudhir

Picture for representational purpose only.

(Picture for representational purpose only.)

Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation proposed to implement an Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) as part of the Sustainable Urban Transport Project in the city for meeting future traffic needs.

Officials placed the proposal in the City Development Plan to be implemented during 2013-2020. The system is now being implemented in Indore, Mysore, Pune, Naya Raipur, and Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra, according to officials.

Increasing traffic has resulted in increased problems like traffic jams, delay, accidents, pollution, etc, that pose a potential threat to the productive efficiency of the city population. The decadal population growth of 75 pc observed between 1991-2001 in the city and the urban agglomeration is also expected to increase to 35 lakh by 2021.

The registered growth of vehicles in the city between 2000 and 2006 was also estimated at 9 pc per annum. About 4.5 lakh registered vehicles were plying on the city roads in 2007, 90 pc of which are cars and motorised two-wheeler vehicles with 3 lakh trips.

Now, the number has increased to around 6.5 lakh and the projected travel is predicted to grow to 29 lakh trips per day by 2021. The GVMC has already taken up the BRTS project with two corridors.

The Government of India, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank and UNDP, has initiated the Sustainable Urban Transport Project. Basically, the proposed Intelligent Traffic System is aimed at the integration of ITS components into the proposed BRT system to improve travel time, accessibility, ease of use, and environmental impact.

Traffic signal prioritisation, centralised traffic control centre, surveillance and detection system with sensors and other facilities would be provided under the Rs 785-cr project.

 

Source-http://www.deccanchronicle.com

 

Volkswagen to showcase intelligent traffic system in city

August 14, 2013

Express news service : 

Volkswagen Group India will showcase its future mobility concepts such as ‘MicroCity’ and ‘NILS’ during the Indo-German Urban Mela (IGUM), scheduled to be held at Deccan College Ground in Yerawada here from January 11.

Elaborating on the key features of ‘MicroCity’, Alexander Skibbe, head, corporate communication, Volkswagen Group, said, “It is an intelligent traffic system which makes using passenger vehicles in cities easier and more appeasing for customers. The MicroCity is a mobility hub that is more than simply a car-park and comes with integrated vehicle-rated services such as charging stations and vehicle rental stations.”

He added, “This hub is enhanced with shops and other useful services. The logical combination of mobility, services and concentrated parking zones in Micro-Cities would provide lasting relief for overcrowded cities.”

Skibbe said ‘NILS’ is a single-seat electric concept vehicle designated to address future individual mobility requirements. “NILS is a very compact car that requires extremely little space. It is only 3.04 m long and just 1.39 m wide from wheel-to-wheel, and a mere 1.2 m tall.

“This concept car features an Aluminum space frame, wing doors and free-standing wheels. It has a performance of a sports car, yet travels with zero emissions,” he said. Volkswagen will also organise plant tour of their Chakan facility through their pavillion at IGUM, and visitors can book plant tours of any of the designated places during the five days of the event.

Source-http://m.indianexpress.com

Noida to streamline traffic with E-challan

August 13, 2013

Vinod Rajput, Hindustan Times  Noida,

To better its existing traffic management system by curbing rampant traffic rule violations, the Noida authority on Monday, decided to introduce electronic (E) challan facility soon.

The authority has roped in telecom major- Airtel for this ambitious project, which will also be helpful in implementation of intelligent traffic management (ITS) in future.

“E-chalan will enable traffic police to issue an instant chalan of a traffic violator. The moment a vehicle found violating any of the traffic rules like- traffic signal jump, rash driving and recklessly changing lanes etc, then police control room will get an SMS with the help of high-tech CCTV cameras installed on traffic poles at all traffic signals,” said Manoj Kumar Rai, officer on special duty (OSD), the Noida authority.

  The Noida authority chairman Rama Raman on Monday had a meeting with assistant regional transport officer (ARTO)- Rajesh Singh, and airtel officials including Noida authority traffic cell to brain storm over the project at its sector 6 office.

To ensure smooth travel to thousands of daily commuters, and regulate city’s burgeoning traffic, the authority has already numbered each traffic pole installed at existing 69 traffic signals.

“We will give hand-held devices to traffic police to issue E-Chalan. After Delhi, Noida will be the first city in NCR to have E-chalan facility,” said OSD.

The authority has formed a team consisting of traffic police and traffic cell officials to identify two busy traffic signals, where trials will be conducted.

“If trials will be successful, then in next 2 months, this facility will be implemented in entire city to ensure better traffic regulation. The authority want to ensure that commuters do not face traffic jam,” said OSD.

Officials maintained that it is on way to build a road-map to make way for implementation of intelligent traffic system (ITS), which will work to monitor and regulate city traffic in a high-tech manner ahead.

 

Source-http://www.hindustantimes.com

International bus terminus in Rajarhat

August 13, 2013

Suman Chakraborti, TNN |

KOLKATA: The transport department and Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) have come up with a plan to jointly set up a plush international bus terminus at Rajarhat New Town, the first of its kind in the state. A 10-acre plot off the Rajarhat main arterial road in Action Area-II has been identified for the purpose.The plot has a location advantage since it is close to both the city airport and IT hub and central business district of Rajarhat.A committee comprising experts has been formed which will visit Chennai and Bengaluru to have a look at the bus terminus projects and give specifications of the models that will be followed in the state.

Though Hidco has been working to set up a few bus terminuses in the township, an international bus terminus has been lacking so far. Thne 10 acre plot that has been identified in Action Area II off the Rajarhat main arterial road has a location advantage of having proximity to the Kolkata Airport and to the IT hub and central business district of Rajarhat.

Hidco authorities have been keeping in touch with the transport department to discuss ways in which the state-of-the-art designer bus terminus could be set up in New Town. The plush terminus will boast of cafes and rest rooms and services for inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes will be operated from there.

that will have a modern and international look with cafes and rest rooms. The authorities are planning to set up the bus terminus that will operate inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes all together.

At present, there is only one international bus terminus in the state which is located at Salt Lake’s Karunamoyee from where Kolkata to Dhaka bus services operate.

Last week, a meeting was held between transport department secretary Alapan Bandyopadhaya and Hidco chairman Debashis Sen, who is also the state urban development secretary, along with officials of CSTC, WBSTC and CTC to discuss the plan. Senior KMDA and Hidco officials were also present to discuss the project.

Hidco also wants to introduce an intelligent transport system (ITS) in Rajarhat New Town as a pilot scheme to develop it as a futuristic township.

There have been long standing demands from residents of the township that the transport system of the area is yet to be fully developed. The state transport department issued two new bus route permits for the township a few months ago in which Hidco will run 20 JNNURM buses in these two routes. For the buses to depart from and arrive in New Town on these two routes, two spots – one near Balaka Abasan in Action Area 1D and another behind Eco Space have been identified.

 

Hi-tech traffic signals in Bhubaneshwar await green light

June 17, 2013

Riyan Ramanath V, TNN |

BHUBANESWAR: If everything goes as per plan, then the traffic posts in city will have full-fledged technology-driven signal system. This will reduce burden on traffic cops and make catching of violators easy.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has roped in a private party to install upgraded signals called Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis for 10 years. The private party, Stanpower, a Hyderabad-based company, known for its innovative technology applications, is likely to give a presentation on ITS to traffic and BMC officials next week. The BOT will facilitate the BMC to have full rights over the assets after 10 years. The company will only get advertisement rights and the cost of operation during the period.

The new system can assist traffic authorities in maximizing the operational efficiency of the signals, said BMC commissioner Sanjib Mishra. “ITS will help ease the traffic flow, reducing delays and fuel consumption of vehicles. It will also help monitor air and noise pollution,” said the commissioner. The ITS uses technology such as CCTV camera-linked traffic controllers and central operation centres, where the computers analyse the traffic flow and disseminate traffic management information, added the commissioner.

At present, the city has about 60 traffic posts of which 20 have signals, which can be operated both manually and automatically. However, human intervention is still required to monitor the violators. “At times we fail to penalize the violators as we have to run after them. Once the technology is installed, we can penalize the commuters later as the CCTVs will capture the registration number of violating vehicles,” said traffic ACP Binod Das.

The commissioner has written to Bhubaneswar DCP, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), regional transport officers and chief engineer of roads seeking their cooperation to adopt the system in the city. “If the stakeholders are convinced about the benefits of launching the technology in Bhubaneswar, the company will be given the go-ahead,” said the commissioner.

“The traffic management in urban set-up has undergone many changes. It is no more limited to flashing of lights at intersections. Present system can’t monitor red light jumping and speed of vehicles. Secondly, there is human intervention while tracking the violators, who don’t wear helmets and drive without fastening seat belts. In many cities, the violations are documented by the technology,” said urban planer P R Rout.

“The ITS technology is so sophisticated that it is able to detect any solid object near traffic posts. The system runs through a central server, which can maintain the database of all traffic signals of the city,” said a BMC official .

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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