Traffic Management Centre to commuters rescue

BANGALORE: The Traffic Management Centre (TMC) of the Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP) offers a lot of services to commuters like lodging complaints, status of traffic and dissemination of traffic news.The TMC assists  both actively through helplines and indirectly by fine tuning traffic signals according to the number of vehicles using the junction. This is monitored by a network of 180 cameras which continously scan all junctions and help the operators at the TMC tweak signal timings. The city has been divided into 19 corridors and 2 shifts exist for each corridor. Traffic density is monitored through GPS devices fitted on 600 BMTC buses. Data received by mobile service providers points out how many devices are under a particular tower and the TMC’s pan-tilt and zoom cameras. The cameras also help identify the licence plate numbers of offenders which enables the TMC to generate automated challans which are dispatched to the vehicle’s owner. “The aim is to clear 75 per cent of the standing traffic at any junction otherwise we increase the timings,” said one of the operators at the TMC. “We manage to identify about 1000 offenders per day with 99 per cent accuracy,” he added.Another experiment tried out by the BTP involves using sensors placed near pedestrian crossings to regulate traffic signals based on vehicles crossing the line. The technology is called Vehicle Actuated  Traffic Signal (VATS). The signal closes when no vehicle cross the sensors for 3-4 seconds. However this method was found not to be viable for the city since roads keep getting dug up regularly. “We are not focusing on VATS right now, we are going for signal progression instead,” said Vasant Bhagwat, Sub Inspector with the TMC. Signal progression aims at creating a continous flow of traffic by activating signals in succession so that the commuter finds a green light waiting by the time he reaches the signal.Other services offered by the BTP involve an IVRS line for customer complaints through which citizens can lodge complaints against excess fare or refusal by auto drivers by calling 25588444. Commuters can also get updates on availibility of 4 wheeler parking by messaging BTIS Park to 52225 and can view proof of traffic violations online at the BTP’s website.