91 smart traffic signals by Jan, to help cut wait time

GURGAON: As many as 91 road intersections in the city are likely to get new traffic signals by January next year. GMDA has awarded the contract for the installation of the adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) to ease vehicular movement in the city. Work is likely to start by the end of this month, officials said.
Conceptualised in 2020 to cut down waiting time at major junctions and ease congestion around traffic signals, administrative approval for the project was given in August 2021.
According to GMDA officials, a high-power purchase committee headed by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave final approval for the system in March, and work has now been awarded to a contractor. It will cost the development authority Rs 12.5 crore and completion will start in around six months once work begins. The contractor has also agreed to install an additional 20 traffic signals at the same rates, an official said.
Under the project, the existing traffic signals in the city will be converted into ATCS ones for improving traffic flow. Using this technology, the timing of traffic signals will automatically be adjusted according to the volume of traffic on each leg. Sensors in the signals will be able to gauge volume of traffic moving from a particular side and the system will accordingly increase the duration of the green signal on its own to ensure smooth flow of traffic and ease congestion on the road, GMDA officials said.
“At present, the timings of each traffic light are pre-defined and don’t adapt as per the traffic volume on the roads. Under the smart signal project, they will be fitted with vehicle detector cameras which will enable them to gauge vehicular flow and accordingly adjust timings. This will further reduce traffic congestion and prolonged waiting time, and also eradicate the need for manual intervention,” said PC Meena, the GMDA chief executive officer (CEO).
These traffic signals will operate on real-time data provided by Google Maps and will be connected to the GMDA’s integrated command and control centre. The centre will monitor the end-to-end flow of traffic, the GMDA chief added.
The smart signals will facilitate the creation of green corridors to accord priority to the movement of emergency vehicles.
A green corridor occurs when a series of traffic lights (usually three or more) are coordinated to allow continuous traffic flow over several intersections in one main direction. Smart traffic signal lights also support e-challans.
Residents welcomed the move, saying most of the city’s traffic lights are old and in poor condition, leading to congestion and even accidents. Deepak Verma, the general secretary of Sushant Lok 1 RWA, said: “This is a positive development as the proposed traffic signals will ease congestion, which is worsening with each passing day. We have been demanding repairs of the traffic signal at Rajpath Marg, which has been defunct for several years. Residents, especially senior citizens, find it difficult to cross the stretch.”