NATIONAL TRAFFIC SAFETY MONTH|Technology in Smart Traffic Management

Traffic Police City Srinagar recently inaugurated the National Traffic Month which will be observed for one month from 18^th Feb 2021. This is the first time this will be observed for one month as in past years the Traffic Safety Week was being observed. Every year we witness thousands of deaths due to road accidents, challans for not obeying traffic rules and regulations etc. Now the question here arises that the month is enough to educate the people regarding traffic measures, Traffic Police and various NGOs always remain on the front foot to launch various educational events for traffic management but now it’s our turn to take this in positive manner and implement in our daily routine.

As the digital form and technology is taking crucial part in traffic management in other countries, India should now come up with latest technologies to deal with traffic jams, over speeding, parking allocations and emergency traffic management etc.

Surveillance cameras only are not enough to tackle the situation. We should think beyond; about Artificial Intelligence, road sensors, remotely accessible traffic lights etc. Google has already provided us the free Google maps software and web applications which can be used by the drivers to look for available routes to travel and get instant knowledge about congestion in traffic and can avoid such routes to ply on. The satellite formed real time traffic management applications are worth using and it should connect us to the traffic control rooms and educate us about the traffic congestions, availability of instant parking locations, emergency routes and its alerts etc. In recent times HSRP (High Security Registration Plates) were introduced in vehicles and they are executable only when we will use proper technology measures like road side speed limit sensors, artificial intelligence road traffic load graphs, online challan executions, over speed alarm systems etc. A small portion of the amount which we utilize on road developments can be used to from a smart traffic management which will ease both the public and our traffic officials. Implementation of such smart traffic system will overcome various other issues also, and offer safe and punctual public transportation. Speed sensors to warn commuters over speed violation, GPS Systems for any medical and accidental emergency, tracing overloading of vehicles and much more.

Talking about the fact some of the things which comprise smart traffic monitoring has already being implemented like mParihavan application to provide real time validity and information of vehicles in which the drivers can keep digital form of documentations for his/her vehicle. FASTag’s is the another achievement in technology to provide commuters ease of paying toll taxes online, Online DL issuance, Registrations are already being enforced. But lot more needs to be done to avoid over loading in public transport, time management of travel journey through online mode etc. Being such smart we need to have high speed internet connectivity, systematic knowledge about information systems and surely such execution of technologies we will see in near future.

Despite these things being unavailable as yet, our traffic police are playing lead role and for our ease and comfort. But we never entertain active participation in that. We don’t fully obey traffic norms like wearing seat belts and helmets, having proper documentation, or discouraging wrong parking and minor driving. We should not be limited to traffic police as first step should be education within us, within our families and society. Recently Traffic Police J&K came up with various awareness programmes like Ahtiyat (Sadak Surakhsha), A Walkathon etc. to make people aware about the rules and regulations of traffic. Laws are never against us, they are created to make us live freely and comfortably. We should obey the laws in every form to avoid being prosecuted. We can’t always blame the authorities as we are responsible for what we do. Instead of encouraging minor driving, over loading – we can encourage car pool, avoid unnecessarily driving inside congested public areas, encourage wearing seat belts, helmets, report rash and drink driving to nearest police station, and on emergency helplines.

Life is precious, return home safe for your families.

Khalid Mustafa is Management & IT Expert, presently IT-Operations Manager @HK Group