Traffic Engineering & Management

The developed world has effectively achieved a fair solution between the requirement to extend road networks to add capacity and manage capacity with a safety component as part of the overall traffic management system. Likewise, the Government of India (GOI) should integrate ‘increase in capacity’ and ‘traffic management’ on Indian roads. The GOI’s current road policy may consider constructing such a link. To that end, the GOI must not incorrectly believe that local traffic police in Indian cities are traffic engineers capable of managing traffic in their jurisdiction.

There is a significant distinction between operating traffic lights and managing traffic through engineering practise. Clearly, traffic cops ‘control’ traffic, and their function cannot be overstated, but traffic management extends far beyond the supervision of signals, junctions, and VIP movements. The primary challenge is managing road capacity while keeping the supply-demand equation in mind, with a focus on proper traffic control device deployment and the construction of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). These are highly technical difficulties that cannot be left to the police as part of normal traffic control operations at crossings. Traffic cops are responsible for enforcing traffic laws and parking regulations. In contrast, the activities of all municipal road authorities must be coordinated with the job established by trained traffic engineers.

Road Capacity Perspective

Modern highways are constructed in developing countries to provide individual mobility, aggregate movement, and access to rural and urban areas. With the Indian economy expected to grow at a rate of 6-10% over the next 15 years, this massive investment and corresponding expansion of national highways (40,000 miles over 15 years) have enormous potential to achieve mobility and contribute to rapid economic benefits for a large number of citizens. Looking through the lens of development, ‘economic and road planners’ in India and possibly other emerging countries understand this side of the issue. However, with the projected increase in highway capacity (e.g., by all accounts, India’s vehicle-carrying capacity is expected to rise sharply, there will be a corresponding increase in traffic congestion (which is already a reality in most cities), rapid vehicle growth, air and noise pollution, and accidents, injuries, and fatalities. This is self-evident and must be recognised by policymakers as soon as possible.

Road Safety Perspective

The economic perspective on traffic safety in developing nations is of major interest to road planners and policymakers. According to World Bank estimates, road accidents cost one to three percent of a country’s Gross National Product (GNP). It is estimated that developing countries currently lose around $100 billion per year as a result of traffic accidents. This amount is nearly twice as much as the entire development assistance received by these countries overall. Such losses surely impede a country’s economic and social advancement. India’s portion of these losses is enormous (equal to its yearly defence budget), and it will continue to climb if nothing is done to improve road safety and traffic management.

The national vision for road safety should be formulated and implemented into political and societal ideas. At the same time, transport systems and road safety management practises utilised in developed countries may not necessarily be suited for developing countries’ safety demands for a variety of reasons – main differentiators include road traffic mix and road user behaviour. Techniques from wealthy countries, on the other hand, can be utilised in India’s urban road environment with changes to local motions and space constraints. Some of the undesirable or risky conditions depicted in the figures, for example, can be eliminated by implementing traffic engineering solutions such as pedestrian crossing facilities, road signs and markings, lane separation for slow-moving traffic, and even a dedicated bus lane during peak periods. Other solutions that must be addressed include effective enforcement and road user education.

• Road Traffic: Some concerns are evident and readily understood by onlookers. Motorised and non-motorised traffic, slow and fast-moving cars, mixed traffic sharing common lanes, lack of footpaths, and a significant number of people on roadways are some of them. Lane management, parking, and access management are all poorly recognised and addressed in poorer countries. Two-wheelers account for a high proportion of mixed traffic (for example, in India, two-wheelers account for more than 75% of traffic).
• Traffic Police: They oversee daily traffic in developing countries, including the enforcement function and VIP movements. However, in most advanced economies, traffic management (which includes traffic control) and road safety is the responsibility of professional traffic management organisations, while police departments are in duty for enforcement.
• Violations and Actions: The use of roads is an individual right that must be practised with a feeling of cooperative behaviour among elements that make up the ‘roadside community’. However, such a thought lacks in the majority of underdeveloped countries. The behaviour of road users is seen as a major contributor to accidents and fatalities.
• Design Standards: Other areas addressed differently in developed (satisfactorily addressed) and developing (inadequately to scantly addressed) countries include operational practices, engineering knowledge base, accident reporting and their associated databases, traffic law enforcement, and driver training / licensing.

Ticketing in Mobility as a Service

Mobility is a prevalent issue that arises across regions, bringing with it a slew of challenges as well as new opportunities. A Preply survey reveals how long individuals around the world spend sitting in traffic in various locations of the world. With a population of 23 million people, it’s no surprise that New Delhi, India, is at the top of the list. The residents of Delhi spend 57.37 minutes per day delayed in traffic, followed by the people of Manila, Philippines, who spend 54.02 minutes per day caught in traffic. London is ranked tenth, with residents suffering for an average of 43 minutes every day. In their lifetime, the average UK driver spends over four years behind the wheel, with eight months of that time spent stuck in traffic. In addition, the average motorist travels 592,920 miles in their lifetime, which is enough to travel to the Moon and back or around the world 24 times. The analysis also looked into the cities throughout the world where people work the most hours per year. The city with the most hours worked is Hanoi, Vietnam, where residents work an average of 2,691 hours a week or 10.5 hours per day. In London, the average number of working hours is 2,003. New Delhi, for its part, ranks third, with its residents working an average of 2,511 hours every week.

Shared mobility might be greatly promoted. Public transportation, such as buses or metro lines, can be an excellent option. In terms of public transportation, measures such as smart-ticketing and possibly a one-nation-one-card system could benefit this market. Traffic management and traffic jams also provide chances for start-ups and entrepreneurs to carve out speciality solutions that are noiseless, non-polluting, and energy efficient, benefiting both cities and citizens.

According to the Union Budget 2022, the ‘PM GatiShakti Master Plan for Expressways’ would be developed in 2022-23 to facilitate faster movement of people and products. The National Highways network will be expanded by 25,000 kilometres in 2022-23. On-demand services and other novel mobility business models, such as multimodal trip-planning tools, have benefited from technological advancements. However, the problems with urban transportation are multifaceted. A good road infrastructure could help India’s road transport problems. We need cleaner or alternative fuels to reduce the pollution emitted by vehicles. Non-motorised modes of transportation, such as bicycles, can be promoted. We do have a few start-ups that have facilitated smart bicycles for Indian roadways, which are presently adorning the streets of various cities. In line with the environmental goal, the Union Budget 2022 established the ‘National Ropeways Development Programme’ in hilly areas. This might be viewed as a preferred environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional roadways, and it will be implemented through the private public partnership (PPP) approach. The goal is to improve commuter connectivity and convenience, as well as to promote tourism. This may also apply to congested urban areas where a normal mass transit system is not possible. Contracts for eight ropeway projects totalling 60 kilometres in length are planned to be awarded in 2022-23.

One solution could be traffic navigation software that provides real-time information on road traffic congestion. Last-mile delivery notifications may also help with traffic management. Vehicle tracking and monitoring tools can be optimised using technology. Intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS), which are popular in many parts of the world, can also be implemented here. This could incorporate computerised traffic light control and dynamic information on road conditions. Smart traffic solutions, speed control devices, sensor networks, and warnings on vehicular movement are required to prevent accidents caused by speeding.

Conclusion

According to the Market Research Future (MRFR) 2022 research, ‘Smart Transportation’ is expected to promote improved mobility facilities with a USD 320 billion market increase by the end of this decade. As work on smart city projects progresses, the government is leaning toward cutting-edge technology tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G internet access, cloud engineering, and so on.

Achieving this goal entails confronting global difficulties such as increased carbon emissions, which cause rapid climate change, growing population, which causes traffic congestion and rising fuel prices, and so on. As a result, in combination with the goal of developing smart cities, the Government of India is actively focusing its efforts on speeding ‘Smart Mobility’ in India. Transportation is a critical use case for smart cities and a fundamental component influencing metropolitan regions. Intelligent transportation system is a prevalent concept that is being used in the country to develop innovative solutions to ease traffic congestion and urban mobility.

India is writing a new chapter in the history of technology by becoming one of the most appealing investment locations for technology in the world. Smart technology has been a game changer for several industries in India, with one of the most prominent revolutions being experienced in the transportation sector, which is undergoing an evolution as part of the ‘Smart Cities’ objective to infuse digitisation into the transportation system.

Public Transport System: A long trusted commuting option

The Indian population’s reliance on public transportation necessitates a redesign of the country’s mobility infrastructure, especially now that the country is returning to normalcy after the pandemic. As a result, there is a need to create a seamless transportation network with technology solutions focused at optimising and improving the overall travel experience of the average Indian commuter. 

Furthermore, given the high reliance on them for intercity transit, electric buses play an important part in the Indian transportation system. According to reports, India has over 140,000 state-run buses for public transit, at least 22% of which are overage, meaning they are 12 years or older. This implies a much-needed chance to convert to a greener alternative and justifies the government’s desire to purchase 50,000 electric buses in concert with its plans to decarbonise public transportation and help fulfil its net-zero emissions targets.

According to Niti Aayog, by 2030, 40% of buses in India would be electric vehicles. This effort is also supported by companies in India that provide and cater to its requirements for EV buses. Having said that, India has a solid foundation of global and Indian corporate sponsorship for new solutions for automated fare collecting, passenger information systems, enhanced signalling, and telecommunication systems. Automation has proved to be beneficial in cost savings, increased productivity, and data-driven insights to improve experience and operations.

Indeed, the most recent transport strategy study published by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) for the state of Kerala urged for a greater use of technology and the use of GPS as a major point of commuter travel plans. Furthermore, as part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), India has been tapping into IoT, AI, and Big Data to develop traffic management systems, with one such initiative being ‘FASTag’ by the NHAI, which provides traffic alerts pertaining to National Highways, thereby making a positive move towards smart mobility.

Infrastructure development in Indian cities has been spectacular over the last decade. With initiatives and investments in multimodal vehicle integration, shared mobility, integrated communication systems, e-ticketing, GPS-based vehicle tracking, real-time passenger security and surveillance systems, improved rail signalling, revamped and world-class public transportation platforms and depots, in-platform free Wifi network, and LED displays with automated voice tagging, the transformation wheel is only getting established.

Some intelligent transport infra that is making way for a much smarter Indian mobility system:

• Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS): This is commonly used by delivery transport operators to connect cars to passenger information systems, allowing for real-time tracking of products/services via Global Positioning System (GPS) integration. Besides fleet information, its GPS monitoring system allows commuters to track the real-time position, routes, traffic movements, and running status of public transportation buses, trains, and other modes of transportation.
• Real-time Passenger Information System (RTPIS): This is becoming more common on public buses, trains, and railway platforms. The transport units connect to General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and communicate the vehicle’s current location to a central server at the transport company’s headquarters. LED displays with speech tagging systems have been installed on platforms, as well as inside buses and local train coaches. The server predicts the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) using GPS and displays it on such platforms as well as mobile applications. RTPIS also gives passengers real-time information about transportation arrivals, departures, route specifics, current location, traffic state, and so on.
• Fare Collection System: Indian transportation has traditionally relied on paper-based ticketing systems, but with the increase of commuters and the increasing need to become paperless, and more recently, in accordance with Covid standards, there has been an increase in contactless ticketing. This has led to the development of new, faster Automated Fare Collection (AFC) systems powered by Near-Field Communication (NFC), which enables mobile applications and introduced the use of smart cards, e-purse (virtual wallets) replacing QR-code based ticket issuance, all of which replaced paper tickets/passes.
• Vehicle planning and scheduling system: This method allows the transport team to handle their transport operations more effectively. It enables GIS-enabled route planning to deliver precise transit timetables and maximum passenger count, as well as supplementing optimal resource management through optimised roster planning. Its third wing of vehicle scheduling incorporates legal policies/rules and establishes the transport operator’s stated tasks.
• AEM – Depot management system (DMS): This system intends to automate all public transportation depot activities, as the name implies. A DMS is made up of four important modules: HR/Payroll, Inventory, Crew Roster, and vehicle maintenance. The DMS enables a network-based transport operation system to follow all activities of buses, beginning with their arrival and reporting into a depot and ending with their departure from the same.

Smarter mobility for a smarter India

Given the Indian government’s reforms and regulations, as well as its ‘Smart India Mission’ to establish a sustainable transportation network throughout 100 Indian cities, the path to smart mobility is well travelled. To reduce automotive emissions and related pollution levels, it plans to ambitiously drive India to 100% EV usage by 2030. As a result, in keeping with the spirit of national transportation infrastructure excellence leading to the country’s promising economic growth, which is also becoming an increasingly popular narrative at global forums, the time has come to broaden the reach and power of in-demand transport technologies that will pave the way for smarter mobility and a smarter India.

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