New system will stop Hyderabad to enable smooth ride for VIPs

 

Telangana Technology Services has called for expression of interest for identification of a technology solution provider for Hyderabad traffic police. Shortlisted companies will be finalised on July 18. Among the positive aspects of the system is that emergency services will get automatic clearance. The objective of ITMS is to model a highly complex, city-wide system that can automate the process of traffic management by predicting optimal traffic routes, traffic signal junctions, minimizing traffic congestions and waiting times, integrating with emergency services like ambulances, fire vehicles, modeling external factors and city road network topology, VIP movement clearances, GUI based and GIS representation of complete system functions and features. 

 

“The system will not only focus on the VIP clearance module, but also on other traffic issues related to common public. Since this is a vast subject, we are working on it,” said ACP, traffic, Jitender. 

 

The document, however, does not mention any guidelines regarding vehicular movement, during VIP movements, and normal road users might suffer. For example, during the President’s visit, a car owner was not allowed to park his vehicle outside a supermarket at Trimulgherry. 

 

“We may have to handle the traffic manually in such situations. We never object to vehicles parking in private parking places. We only object to parking on the roadside. We work according to the protocol and not out of our own interest,” said a Hyderabad Traffic Police official. 

 

 

 

But there are many questions that have to be addressed before implementing the system. The expression of Interest document does not mention about how the system will coordinate other departments like electricity and PWD. There is no mention about the cost of the project and the time to complete the project.

 

“We do not know what the advanced technology available in the market is. The vendors also do not know what we need exactly. We are still discussing many aspects that the system needs to address. The system can address such issues once we go to the next level of discussions on the technical aspects,” said Jitender, Hyderabad additional commissioner of police for traffic.

 

This is the first time that an ITM system is being implemented in the country and it needs lot of expertise and experience for the clients to take it up. As the country does not have companies with the relevant expertise, foreign players are also invited.

 

“It is good to club the expertise of different companies and work together for a better outcome,” he added. The system also does not address security threats. Experts say that the system should be hack proof and suggest that skilled personnel should be deployed to monitor the system and address any issued immediately.

 

“The cyber officials in the government are not equipped with the technology to face any threats. There is a chance that this system can also be hacked. Even government sites are being hacked these days; special focus should be given on this security aspect,” said an expert from TS IT department.