Delhi prepares for 2010

India’s capital city of Delhi is investing heavily in ITS equipment to prepare for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This website’s Indian correspondent, TC Malhotra, considers how the money is being spent.

In an attempt to ensure the smooth and safe flow of traffic in the Indian capital city of Delhi during the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Delhi Traffic Police is planning to put in place an IT-driven Intelligent Traffic System (ITS), which will monitor and streamline vehicular movement.

Protecting the vulnerable

The new ITS system will help to smooth traffic flows before, during and after the event.

 It will also help traffic officials plan and manage safer mobility for pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable groups, and support more reliable and dependable public transport services.

Major features of the new system include installation of intelligent video cameras at major traffic intersections, communication of live video images from traffic intersections through the cyber highway to the central command and control centre.

The system will be managed from a command and control room with a video wall to project these images, an incident detection system for quick responses to traffic snarls, and an automatic enforcement system including enforcement against signal violation, lane violation and speed violation. 



The Delhi Traffic Police, which already operates its own traffic management centre, has issued global tenders to implement the intelligent traffic system in the Indian capital. The system, which is likely to be installed in the next few months, will electronically monitor traffic and help traffic police in diverting traffic from jam-packed roads to less congested stretches.

Italian connection

The Traffic Management Centre has been set up on the recommendations of an Italian firm that was roped in by the Union Urban Development Ministry (UDM) last year to conduct a study into the feasibility of introducing ITS applications on Delhi’s roads.

The Italian firm will also coordinate with the Delhi Traffic Police. 

The Planning Commission has approved the project and has decided to invest Rs 2 billion (US$47.6 million) over five years. During 2008-09, Rs 320 million (US$7.6 million) has been earmarked for its implementation. 



Rajan Bhagat, spokesman for the Delhi Police, says, “With the help of the ‘intelligent system’, live video images will be sent from traffic intersections in the city to the Central Command and Control Centre digitally. A Command and Control Room will be created with a video wall that will display these images. Traffic snarls will be detected instantly, and a quick response to check the situation will be made available. 



“Every time there is a traffic jam, we will be able to divert traffic to other routes more efficiently. Even a car breaking down will be detected faster”. 



Bhagat says that variable message signs will also be installed to inform road users about the traffic situation. 



Choosing a consultant

The Delhi Traffic Police has floated a global Expression of Interest seeking proposals from companies interested in supplying part or all of the system. It is currently finalizing the appointment of a consultant to provide guidance during the procurement process, prepare bid documents and help in getting the project implemented. 



Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit recently announced that a total of Rs.40 billion (US$870 million) would be spent on works related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games by the Public Works Department (PWD).

”With the commissioning of 100 flyovers, 272-km Metro line and 10,000 low-floor buses in the DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) fleet before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games, the scenario of public transport system in the capital will change,’ she says. 



The Commonwealth Games will run in New Delhi from 3-14 October 2010 and will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in India. Delhi previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.  
 

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