In a bid to alleviate traffic congestion in the Central Business District (CBD), the Bengaluru Traffic Police have begun a trial run of the Japanese MODERATO technology for adaptive traffic signals at three key junctions. The project, which was first proposed in 2014, began groundwork in July 2021 and is being spearheaded by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The initiative aims to modernize traffic management with advanced Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT), which includes automatic traffic counters, classifiers to analyze vehicle movement patterns, and queue-length monitoring at key junctions. The central control software, MODERATO, allows for real-time optimization of signal phases and timings to adapt to changing traffic demands.
Key features of the ASCT system include automatic traffic counters that can accurately count vehicles passing through a particular intersection, classifiers that can analyze vehicle movement patterns and identify different types of vehicles such as cars, buses, and trucks, and queue-length monitoring that helps reduce congestion by optimizing signal timings.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.N. Anucheth sees the trial run as a crucial step towards modernizing traffic management in the CBD. If successful, the plan is to expand the system to all 28 identified signals in the area. The project is expected to reduce congestion on major roads in the CBD and improve overall road safety by optimizing signal timings based on real-time data.
