How Cops In Bengaluru, Among World's Most Congested, Clear The Way

Karnataka's capital Bengaluru is fusing technology with manual traffic management to decongest roads whenever a jam is about to develop. The traffic police's plan is to keep vehicles moving, even if slowly, which is still better than vehicles coming to a stop.

The city is ranked No. 2 on navigation technology firm TomTom's Traffic Index as the most congested place to drive in the world. London comes at No. 1.

Bengaluru has 1.7 crore vehicles while the population is approximately 1.3 crore. This indicates the city's public transport model is not working, experts say.

Under senior police officer M Saleem, the traffic police managed to reduce travel time from Bengaluru's central business district to the Yelahanka air base to less than an hour and the international airport can now be reached in less than 90 minutes.

Without building new flyovers or completing any new project, the traffic police found a way to work around the existing infrastructure using a combination of technology and workforce management.

A giant screen of the city's map has been installed at the traffic police's control room. Whenever red spots appear on some roads, the control room directs traffic policemen on the field to go there and help ease congestion immediately.

The net result is that though the traffic may be slow, the vehicles keep moving and do not stop.

"We have removed many traffic policeman from fine collection duty and put them in traffic management. Unless there is a visible violation, the traffic police will not stop anyone for checking as this also leads to traffic jam. Due to technology-driven traffic management, we are now issuing challan based on technology infrastructure," Bengaluru Traffic Police Special Commissioner M Saleem said.

He cited the example of cameras that can automatically record speeding and other violations as the basis for diverting workforce towards the traffic management side.

Large and medium trucks are banned from entering Bengaluru from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm.

Another welcome development is that traffic congestion on Hebbal flyover has eased after two police pickets were installed. Motorists have started respecting zebra crossings and stopped jumping the red light under the watchful eyes of traffic cameras.

"Traffic violations have decreased due to technology. People have started following rules gradually," Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police M Anuchhet said.

At least 1,000 traffic wardens or volunteers are also helping the police.

"It's better than sitting in the car and doing nothing and blaming others for traffic problems. I thought I'd do what I can for my city," said Shilpa Spoorti, an architect, who volunteers to help the traffic police as a warden.