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A New One in ITMS
By Maxwell Pereira
EVEN THOUGH the use of Red and Green traffic lights to regulate cross movement at road intersections has been in existence since long, it was only since the '70s that computer controlled traffic systems were envisaged. But these were based on fixed timing cycle patterns - which traffic researchers, particularly the Transport Road Research Laboratory of UK, endeavored to improve upon.
In 1973, work on a full adoptive traffic control system called SCOOT - standing for 'split' 'cycle' 'off-set' 'optimisation' ' technique' was started. In simple terms it is the method of coordination that adjusts signal timings in frequent, small increments to match the latest traffic situation. The system visualised independent signals measuring the traffic volumes accurately and reporting these data to the central computer. Based on pre-set assumptions and a complex algorithm through a very sophisticated software programme, the central computer decides the signal timings of the various signals to optimise their timing and provide free flow of traffic.
About 200 such and other Area Traffic Control (ATC) Systems like the Australian SCAT etc. are working currently around about. This particular urban traffic control system is among the most advanced technology solutions available today, employing state-of-the-art traffic flow management, data, transmission and computing technology.
And now, further efforts are on to solve traffic congestion problems in the core areas of metropolitan cities, by the resorting to such innovating Intelligent Traffic Management Systems (ITMS) and installing intelligent traffic signals, which are networked into the Area Traffic Control. These have massive benefits from the traffic flow, safety and pollution points of view. This ATC system is an integral part of the intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The ITS includes many state-of-the-art sub systems like - incident Monitoring System (IMS), the Variable Messaging System (VMS), electronic Toll System (ETS), Weight-in-Motion System (WMS), the Camera Based Enforcement Systems (CBES) and also the Intelligent Public Transportation systems (IPTS), among many more.
The responsibility for planning, installing and maintaining traffic signals in Delhi was transferred from the civic agencies to Delhi Police in 1985. A measure of sophistication was then attempted to study and acquire the latest available technology to help provide better and more efficient traffic flows. From the inherited fixed-time computerised controllers, soon the VTMs switch gear controllers were introduced, with capability to cater to different and flexible flow time patters - catering to peak and non-peak, and other specifications needed at a particular junction. Simultaneously synchronization was achieved of successive traffic lights along travel corridors-initially through use of cables and then in the early 90s through the imported computer software TRANSYT-9. Other innovations available elsewhere in the world like Pelican crossings for pedestrian facility were introduced in '92 and vehicle actuated signals at selected junctions in 1996. Even so, the Delhi Traffic Police has already pioneered with the study of SCOOT based Area Traffic Control system for Delhi in 1988 - with the Planning Commission making it a Plan Scheme. Though this vision of the planners took all of another 10 years before formal sanction could be got and another three years before this Pilot Project for the country could be put in place, for the first time the country got an ATC system.
The ATC concept depends heavily on the ability of the signals to accurately sense and calculate traffic volumes and other details. Looking at the various systems adopted all over the world, there appear to be mainly two accepted methods of measuring traffic volumes for traffic management: The first one being through loops embedded in the road surfaces and working on the induction principle; and the second, through video cameras. While the video based technology is prohibitive in cost, the loop systems often present problems of inaccuracies, although they may e the best available solution.
A new technology which has recently emerged in this field is that of RF tags/ microchips/ transceivers embedded in the number plates of vehicles, and read by special 'readers' embedded in the roads which are said to offer the most accurate and economical way of measuring traffic flows in our Indian urban conditions characterized by 'mixed' traffic conditions and poor lane discipline. And this is something that Bangalore traffic police have decided to pioneer into.
The logic behind the concept of the RF/ microchip application is linked to the country-wide move in the offing, to replace all the existing number plates with the new and modern non-tamperable and uniform security number plates by 2003, the change over to which has already been notified by the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways. The owners of vehicles are expected to pay for these plates. If a microchip is embedded in each of the proposed number plates, then each number plate will contain a chip, with memory of a unique code, which while interacting with the central database will reveal the type of vehicle, and so on. Thus, the pioneers hope, that at a very marginal additional cost of about Rs. 50 per chip, to effectively avail of this historic opportunity of one-time replacement of existing number plates with modern security number plates, whereby the rapid electronic identification of vehicles becomes feasible.
As is projected in most intelligent traffic management systems touted around the world, the benefits of this RF tags/ microchip/ transceiver adoption are said to be immense: The prominent among them being; the expected rapid and all - green movement of vehicles in the city centre: reduced pollution due to non-stoppage of vehicles at all junctions: a definite reduction in the number of accidents due to orderly movement of traffic: electronic recognition of vehicle identity to facilitate traffic enforcement like signal jumping, over-speeding and like offences: monitoring systems to detect stolen vehicles within a short time: monitoring fraudulent tampering and replacement of number plates: monitoring defaulting vehicles: and gathering of valuable and online traffic flow data to give realistic solutions to traffic problems.
