The Hindu 26.03.2013
ITS signals on BRTS road soon
Intelligent Traffic Signals (ITS) will be installed on
Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) road near Satyanarayanapuram very
shortly. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has made
arrangements for installation of the ITS on the BRTS Road and hopes to
make them functional within a month.
The signals will
be set up at four junctions beginning from Meesala Raja Rao Bridge to
Gunadala in the city. The signals would come up at Seetannapeta,
Satyanarayanapuram, Food Junction, Madhuranagar Bridge and Padavalarevu
Junction.
Exact cost of the signals is not known, but
the VMC is taking up this as a pilot project in the city. The ITS will
have Closed Circuit (CC) cameras for surveillance purpose.
Expression of interest
The
VMC has invited expression of interest (EOI) for installing the ITS.
One firm has evinced interest, but, the Corporation, on a pilot basis,
has decided to implement it with the cooperation of Prakash Arts, an Ad
agency. The project would be extended to other parts of the city in due
course, sources said.
CC cameras
The
traffic advisory committee and city police commissioner N. Madhusudhan
Reddy have suggested installing the CC cameras at the junctions and
integrate it with the signalling system. The cameras will help in
keeping a tab on traffic violations, crime etc. More so, it will be easy
in providing right of way to ambulances as the cameras are linked to
signalling system, a VMC official said.
Minor accidents
On
the other hand, a ride on the BRTS road has become a cause of concern
for the people. Though no major accidents occurred on this stretch of
road, minor accidents are recorded now and then at junctions like
Madhuranagar Bridge.
Unless the signals were in place and road dynamics were improved there was every chance of major mishap, felt police officials.
Inspection
The
VMC and police officials led by Traffic Assistant Deputy Commissioner
of Police Ramana inspected the junctions on the BRTS road on Monday.
The signals will be set up at four junctions beginning from Meesala Raja Rao Bridge to Gunadala in Vijayawada.