K'taka Budget: AI to be used to manage of traffic signals in B'luru

BENGALURU: Development of junctions with high traffic, use of Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals, construction of elevated roads are among the measures proposed in the Karnataka budget presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday to address the traffic woes of Bengaluru city.

He also announced that Rs 300 crore will be provided for the re-construction of roads which need repair in the 110 villages included in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limit.

To reduce the traffic congestion in the Bengaluru city, it is proposed to develop 75 important junctions with high traffic congestion at a cost of Rs 150 crore, Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said, as a supplement to this, traffic congestion will be reduced by using Artificial Intelligence for the management of traffic signals by adopting Seamless Signalling.

Further, traffic congestion will be reduced by constructing a five km elevated road at a cost of Rs 350 crore from Tin factory to Medahalli and the integrated flyover from Yeshwanthpur Railway Station to Mathikere and BEL Road and by providing direct access, he said, adding that this will be done by integrating it with the rail networking of Sub-Urban Railway Corporation.

White topping of 120 km arterial roads in Bengaluru will be done at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore and 300 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city will be developed at a cost of Rs 450 crore, the Chief Minister added.

Bommai said High Powered Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority is constituted in order to co-ordinate the operations of various transport agencies and to find out scientific remedies to mitigate the traffic problems of the fast developing Bengaluru city.

To mitigate the ill effects of climate change and control floods in Bengaluru, a project with the assistance of World Bank at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore will be implemented, he said. Sluice gates will be installed at all the tanks to control the flood situation under this scheme. It will help in controlling the speed and quantity of flow of water.

Noting that auto tippers and compactors designed for collection of dry waste and wet waste in the same vehicle will be operationalised, the Chief Minister said for processing of waste in the respective ward, a modern technology based odourless waste processing unit will be established in each ward.

Thrust will be given to process the waste locally by mandating the producers of the large quantity of waste including commercial complexes, hospitals and hotels to process the waste at their level itself, he said.

Further, to prevent the encroachment of BBMP property and to ensure the protection of such property, fencing, erecting boards and surveillance through GPS software will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 35 crore, Bommai said, adding that 250 well equipped ''She Toilets'' will also be constructed in the heavily populated markets and mega commercial complexes of Bengaluru city.