ITMS bids for automated traffic system in Chennai

According to a Chennai Corporation document, the project will be implemented across the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) by availing a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Under the project, the civic body will install cameras at traffic signals, road junctions, and accident-prone areas. Apart from cameras, the traffic signals across the city will be automated to avoid unwanted waiting duration. Cameras at the accident-prone areas will reduce the response time by alerting the concerned authorities.

The civic body will implement the project at a cost of more than Rs 650 crore of which Rs 400 crore will be provided by JICA. Of the 491 traffic junctions in the core city area, the civic body has identified 165 junctions.

Under the project, the cameras would be placed along the major roads under ITMS that would capture and count the number of vehicles plying on the road. The data would be sent in real-time to a specially developed software, which would operate the traffic signals. The duration of red and green signals would be set by the software, which will be connected to Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC).

Under the project, the civic body will also redesign the traffic junctions in a way to reduce accidents. Also, passengers waiting at bus stops for MTC buses would get updates on the arrival of buses.

“Presently, the traffic police set the duration of traffic signals manually and vehicles have to wait for the already set duration even if there is no traffic flow. This makes the motorists wait at the junctions unnecessarily, “ a Chennai Corporation official said.