Bengaluru: Rollout of the Japanese traffic signal control system, Moderato, has been delayed yet again after officials found a glitch at Queen’s Circle on Wednesday night during the trial.
Sources in the Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) revealed that Moderato’s applicability to Bengaluru remains uncertain as the trials held so far are ineffective.
The ongoing metro work and other infrastructural projects have also contributed to the delay. Sources said the project is unlikely to be launched until June.
Funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Advanced Traffic Information and Management System (ATIMS), otherwise called the smart signal project, had been planned to be rolled out in 28 traffic signals after successful trials at major intersections.
The project was first announced in 2014, but the implementation agreement was signed only on June 30, 2021. On-site work began in October 2022.
"There are many issues, including coordination between the departments and authorities that regulate urban management and traffic in the city. To smoothly conduct the trials, we need permission from the traffic police and the BBMP," the source explained.
While smart signals are expected to reduce traffic congestion by 30 per cent, they are "not going to revolutionise traffic management", the source added.
A source from the technical team at the DULT smart signal project said “the time-consuming task of importing tools and equipment from Japan” is another reason for the delay.
While Moderato, the Japanese technology, is the first of its kind to be assessed in India, similar technologies are already in use in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Earlier, the DULT had held trials at Kensington Junction, Old Madras Road, and Murphy Road junctions.
The smart signals will analyse traffic intensity based on the length of queues at specific junctions and optimise signal durations with the help of interconnected sensor-based systems installed at 28 locations.
Based on the density of traffic movement across these junctions, the software will automatically adjust signals to regulate and ease the flow of traffic, a DULT official said.
Published 24 May 2024, 20:29 IST