Bengaluru: Smart signals get green light, 100 more to be equipped with sensors

Bengaluru: To reduce waiting time at traffic signals, the city traffic police department has ordered 100 new adaptive signals armed with sensors that will help cut traffic pile-ups during non-peak hours. 

The contract has been bagged by Bharat Electronics Ltd, which will install an advanced signalling system across the city in six months. The company will also upgrade the existing fixed-time cycle signals to the new ones.

With this, commuters will no longer have to waste time waiting for signals to turn green even when there is no traffic at other signals during non-peak hours.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R. Hitendra said, “The tender specifies that the vendor has to complete the work in six months.”

Asked whether the new signal system will reduce traffic in the city, a senior police officer said that they won’t, but they will help bring order at junctions. “These signals adapt to the scenario of unexpected fluctuations in traffic by utilising the green time better. We don’t see any benefit during peak hours,” he said.

The city has 363 traffic signals, and the project under the Intelligent Traffic System as part of B-Trac project had taken off in December 2017. Already, 35 signals have been replaced with adaptive ones at an estimated cost is Rs 85 crore, said the police. 

Mr Hitendra said that the city is facing traffic jams as vehicle growth and infrastructure growth are not at the same pace. “Apart from upgrading 363 existing signals, we will also add 100 more signals at new locations where our traffic policemen are managing with hand signals now,” he said.