Hyderabad set to get 28 live' traffic boards

Hyderabad: All along the Inner Ring Road (Chandrayangutta, DRDL, L.B. Nagar and Mettuguda to Greenlands) over 28 electronic message boards will be erected to provide commuters with real-time information on congestion, accidents, traffic jams or road damage and alternative roads. It’s hoped that the system will help commuters save time and fuel while reaching their destinations. The boards, which are also being erected on National Highway 7&9, will also give weather information.

The senior project director, ITS–HMDA said, “The prime user services include improved safety, reduction in travel time and cost by providing reliable real-time information through ITS. In a phased manner the 70 Automatic Traffic Counter cum Classifiers (ATCCs) will be installed at 35 locations in the core city. This also includes 56 CCTV cameras at 49 different locations and flood detectors at 14 junctions. Pollution, metrological data will also be collected from concerned departments and updated.”

The collected traffic, road and weather data will be monitored, analysed by the ITS control centre at Nanakramguda interchange. Real-time traffic information will be disseminated to motorists through the Variable Message Sign (VMS), website and SMS 24x7.

When asked if these boards could warn drivers of crossing the speed limits, and flash the numbers of offending vehicles — which is standard practice in foreign countries, he said, “These boards are mainly for the core city areas and currently there is no scope for overspeeding alerts or listing of offending cars. But we can think of this system for our highways and on the Outer Ring Road.”

Talking about the alternatives routes facility, he added, “Within the city, if alternative routes are available they will be flashed immediately; if there are no other routes, then the time taken to reach the destination will be provided depending on real-time congestion data.”

The current boards at crossroads, for example at the Patny Junction, have been erected by the Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Management System (HTRIMS). The messages flashed on these boards are mostly explaining traffic and GHMC rules. But the ITS board will be entirely route-related and will warn of accidents, delays, flooded roads etc.