ATC to Decongest Mumbai Roads
How many times have we honked at drivers, of cars stranded right before our vehicles? How many times have we considered leaving cars on jammed roads and walking home in frustration? How many times have we missed appointments or been delayed because of traffic jams?
Many. The scenario is about to change soon.
An ambitious Rs.54 crore state government project initiated by the Mumbai traffic police can change all that and much more.
Area Traffic Management (ATC) aims to ease traffic congestion on Mumbai roads. The World Bank has endorsed the project to be completed by CMC and Telvent in conjunction with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). However, its approval is pending before the Standing Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Joint commissioner of police (traffic), Satish Mathur, informs, “ATC technology is being used globally. It involves installing detectors on every intersection. These detectors count the number of vehicles queuing up at an intersection arm. The inputs are processed by a controller software and signals are synchronized in a manner that give heavy traffic paths longer clear ways.”
He asserts, “Automatic incident and congestion detection systems are developed to be used on road sensors to send information to the control room.”
According to Mathur, the project to be financed by the World Bank was envisioned six years ago. Many enterprises bid for the project over the years.”
Sources state that the project was plagued with allegations and counter allegations. The WB committee scanned various bids, but did not approve any over the last five years. Clauses were introduced and removed. It endorsed the joint venture between CMC and Telvent late 2005. CMC will provide the hardware and Telvent will supply the software for the project that covers all 253 intersections across Mumbai. The project, to be implemented in two phases is likely to be completed in 25 months.
Pell Frischmann, UK is the project consultant. Ajit Kumar, a consultant with Prabhu Frischmann, Mumbai, refused to comment.
Efforts to contact Dhaval Desai of CMC proved futile.
However, sources at CMC say though WB has accepted the bid, the dotted line will only be signed after the standing committee stamps its approval. They add, “We will officially talk about it once we bag the order. As of now we do not know how the political parties will react.”
Police sources aver, “If the BMC and MMRDA do not provide the necessary infrastructure and repair roads, the project will fall flat.”
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