Smart signals will help discipline Delhi’s unruly traffic by 2022
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS FUTURE Traffic Police plans to cover all arterial roads with sensorbased laser cameras, which will detect all onroad violations, read registration number plates and challan vehicles automatically
NEW DELHI : By 2022, when Artificial Intelligence completely takes over the traffic signals from the police personnel, there will be changes — challans that pop out from a machine on your vehicle’s dash board to traffic lights that automatically change to red, green and yellow, depending upon real time traffic.
As part of their ambitious Intelligent Management Traffic System project, a senior police officer said they would write to the government to bring in policy changes related to transport. It could even be mandatory to have a vehicle onboard system - a small electronic device fitted on the dashboard.
Also, it will curtail incidents of commuters alleging harassment.
“By 2022, we will cover all arterial roads with sensor-based laser cameras, which will detect all traffic violations and read the registration number plate of the vehicles. The AI system will be synced with the Central government’s e-vahan and e-sarthi portals, which have information about every vehicle. Once the user is identified, the fine would be levied within minutes,” said an officer. Police believed that with everything recorded and evidence of violation in the form of videos and audios, there will be lesser allegations of harassment or corruption. “The new Motor Vehicle Act will come into effect soon. The fines for violations are more under the new Act. More drivers will be disciplined on the road. Once the AI manages the street, road discipline will improve,” said special commissioner of police (traffic) Dependra Pathak.
NEED FOR AI
In a project note shared with top government officials, the Delhi Police, while explaining the need for artificial intelligence mentioned some alarming facts.
In 2001, the total registered vehicles in Delhi was 35.80 lakh, which has increased over 201% and crossed the one crore mark last year.
Delhi’ population since 2001 has also nearly doubled (48%) from 1.38 to 2.05 crore but there is little increase in the road space. The road space in Delhi since 2001 has increased by only 15.75% from around 28,000 to 33,000.
Officer Pathak explains, “If a truck breaks down at India Gate there will be traffic in most parts of the city. All roads leading to India Gate will have heavy traffic. With our sensor based cameras sending live feed to the AI software, the traffic signals will adapt to the new situation and work accordingly. The LED boards (also synced to AI) placed on the road will guide you to another alternative route and inform them about the accident.”
100 Future of traffic management
Artificial Intelligence software will make Delhi’s traffic signals adaptive.
The signals will real time, depending on the traffic.
The AI will then divert traffic accordingly.
If there is an accident on any stretch, the AI will identify the areas through its predictive analysis and will operate the signals automatically. The AI will also help police during VIP routes or giving green corridors to ambulances. A police officer from the control room can manually control all the signals and make it either green or red depending on the route.
The pilot project of the AI system will be started in New Delhi, south and central parts of the city by mid-2019.