‘Smart’ Faridabad to have integrated traffic system

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, June 26

The city is likely to have an integrated traffic management system (ITMS) soon which will replace the traditional method which is faced with numerous hurdles. The traffic and highways authorities have asked the officials concerned to start working on the system, it is learnt.

Sources said the DIG, Traffic and Highways, had taken up the issue of appointing a nodal officer to prepare a DPR which would be sent to the state government for its approval. “Since Faridabad is set to be developed as a smart city, it is now eligible for upgrading or implementation of a new model of traffic control system. The ITMS is the need of the hour given the conditions and the number of vehicles in the city,’’ said SK Sharma, district incharge of the Road Safety Organisation (RSO), an NGO.

He said the government had made a move in this regard by asking the authorities to prepare a detailed plan. He said the traffic management plan of cities like Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad should be studied for an effective implementation of the ITMS to make the city smart in real terms.

As part of the new system, the city would have CCTV cameras at all intersections and other important spots, the sources said, adding that while surveillance cameras would keep an eye on the overall traffic movement, the enforcement cameras would prepare a record of traffic offenders. The police would send a challan on the address of the offender and in case on non-payment of penalty, the police would impound the vehicle.

Sharma said at present, there were only 125 to 130 policemen at a given time to manage traffic and without the support of 150 volunteers, manning the traffic would be a tough task.