Cutting-edge traffic management system to make city roads safer

Coimbatore: Municipal administration minister S P Velumani on Saturday inaugurated a high-tech traffic management system and the first batch of modern traffic signals designed and installed by Uyir, a people's movement against road accidents.
Number plate recognition (NPR) cameras have been installed at JM Baker Junction, LIC Junction, GKNM Junction, Anna Statue Junction and Lakshmi Mills Junction, managing trustee of Uyir S Rajasekaran said. “We have identified 40 major junctions to install the cameras. The cameras are connected to a control room, where a software will monitor the video feed. The system can identify the vehicles that flout traffic rules. It can identify the vehicles that cross the stop line and two-wheeler riders, who are not wearing helmets. The software will then capture the details on the number plates of such vehicles and list the violation, and penalty,” he told TOI.

The new traffic signal controllers will trigger automatically, depending on the vehicular movement, Rajasekaran said. “We have also installed pedestrian signals at all the five junctions. Until recently, pedestrians crossed the roads by checking the flow of traffic, which led to many accidents. We have also painted pedestrian lines on the road at major junctions using reflective paint.”

Uyir also placed barricades and distributed reflective jackets and gloves to the police personnel.

Velumani later flagged off 33 buses worth Rs 8.25crore, which will operate between Coimbatore and districts including Erode, Trichy and Madurai. The state government had made announcements to provide 430 buses at a cost of Rs 82.22crore to Coimbatore in 2017. The vehicles are delivered in three phases.