Google Maps, GPS to rid Ggm of snarls

GURUGRAM :To tackle snarls that the city has long earned a notoriety for, the police are planning to develop a software to spot traffic jams using Google Maps and automatically send an alert to police personnel in GPS-installed motorcycles, and vans to divert vehicles.

City police commissioner KK Rao said the plan is to develop a software to monitor traffic jams and locations of police vehicles on one map and then sent an automatic message to the police vehicle nearest to a traffic jam.

The police vehicle would then reach the spot and clear the snarl by diverting vehicles.

“Problems related to traffic jams would be resolved to a large extent with the development of this software. The whole process would be automatic. We are in talks with a company, which installs GPS in police vehicles, to develop this software,” Rao told this correspondent on Friday.

Rao said that GPS-enabled devices would be installed in all motorcycles, jeeps of station house officers and police control room (PCR) vans and they would alert them about snarls.

“We plan to do it mainly during peak commuting hours — from 8.30am to 10.30am and from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. We will try it on a pilot basis to start with,” he said.

The commissioner gave directions in this regard on Friday. He will hold a meeting with the three assistant commissioners of police of the traffic department to discuss the project.

The meeting will be held at 9.30am on Saturday.

“Currently, police monitor traffic jams using Google Maps and alert the traffic inspector concerned over phone, who then takes a call on the action required. The software would make this process a whole lot faster,” a traffic police officer privy to the development said.

The officer said that they also plan to alter stoppage time at traffic signals if found necessary after monitoring traffic jams.

After being appointed as commissioner earlier this week, Rao had said he would focus on checking crime in the city and improving the traffic situation would also be a priority.

To streamline traffic movement and reduce snarls in the Capital, the Delhi police is also planning to manage a third of the city traffic by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This would involve installation of depth sensors to regulate traffic signals.