JOIN US19 pc rise in state traffic volume in 5 years
The average daily traffic (ADT) is the average number of vehicles passing through a specific point in a 24-hour period. According to a census conducted by the Public Works Department, the increase in ADT, in actual terms, translates into a rise in the number of vehicles from 4,876 to 5,805 during the period 2005-10. Karnataka has a 20,528-km network of state highways.
According to the traffic census, heavy vehicular traffic on state highways has gone up by a staggering 33.89 per cent. The data also revealed a 16.5 per cent increase in the number of cars and two-wheelers.
The statistics were compiled on the basis of a seven-day census conducted simultaneously at 898 count posts covering various stretches of the state highways. Enumerators gathered data from 6 am on February 16 to 6 am on February 24. The category, axle load, origin and destination of the vehicles were also noted during the census. The vehicle count at 2,759 count stations on major district roads revealed an increase of 1.55 per cent in the average daily traffic on such roads.
The PWD officials said the census data will be utilised to arrive at decisions on improvement, upgradation and widening of the existing roads. The information will also help in identifying points of congestion, devise methods to ensure safety travel and thus minimise accidents.
Traffic census is taken every five years. The traffic volume has grown exponentially since the first census in 1970. The movement of light vehicles has gone up 18 times while there has been an 11-fold increase in heavy vehicle traffic.
Busiest road
The Bangalore-Mysore road is the busiest state highway in Karnataka with 68,654 passenger car units (PCU) recorded during the PWD census.
The passenger car unit is a unit to indicate vehicle density on any given day.
The Srirangapatna-Jewargi road is the next busiest route with a PCU of 60,648, followed by Bangalore-Hesaraghatta road with a 55,308 PCU.