Road Traffic and Infrastructure Management

15.7.04

Road Traffic and Infrastructure Management

In India about 100 MT of oil products are used annually as fuel. About 2/3rd of oil requirement of the country is met by imports at a staggering cost of about Rs. 80,000 crores. 50% of petroleum products are used in transport sector. It’s therefore absolutely essential that not a drop of oil be wasted.

CRRI Study:
With the ultimate aim of reduction of fuel loss on roads, in the year-1996, PCRA entrusted to Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) conduct of a study on the loss of petroleum products due to idling of vehicles at road intersections in Delhi. The study revealed that around three lakh litres of petrol and one lakh litres of diesel get wasted at 466 intersections in Delhi.


As a result of follow up of this study sponsored by PCRA; reverse timers at certain traffic intersections in Delhi were installed. These timers help the drivers to take decision about switching off engines at red light. Apart from this; study also recommended for adequate provisions of free left turns; synchronization of traffic signals, optimization of signal cycle timings and construction of flyovers at high volume and priority intersections. Several of these recommendation have been implemented.

This study, gave some new directions for better traffic management in Delhi. In fact, this study has been referred to several times in different meetings, seminars and workshops etc. of Govt. of India and other organizations.

Since 1996, volume of traffic has increased many times. Congestion on roads has increased many folds. Several spots have become almost dead spots for traffic, that is, once a vehicle is into it, it is difficult to predict when it will be able to travel out of it & after wasting how much of fuel. Vehicle technology has also undergone substantial change.

Hence, it is considered imperative to conduct such study afresh. In 2003-04, PCRA has sponsored two projects on CRRI to study the traffic pattern and fuel loss due to traffic jams and idling of vehicles in Delhi & in and around highly congested area of Paharganj in Delhi. Area around Paharganj is representative of many such congested spots in Delhi. CRRI has been asked to work out & suggest short term as well as long-term remedial measures to counter the problem. Before putting down final suggestions for easy traffic flow; CRRI as a part of project shall look into ongoing projects in-place e.g. by MRTC, PWD and MCD etc. so that the recommendations are in synergy with other agencies working in this direction. To achieve this synergy; PCRA called a joint meeting of MCD, DDA, CRRI, PWD, and Delhi Traffic Police in March, 2004 so as to exchange information, views & suggestions to make studies by CRRI more useful & implementable.

Transport Advisory Committee

In 2003-04 PCRA constituted an Advisory Committee on Transport Sector to review latest developments in transport sector, explore possible potential areas of fuel savings and draw out action plan for PCRA to facilitate the possible saving; The committee consists senior officials from Ministry of Surface Transport, Automobile Associations, Pollution Control Boards, Engineering colleges, Oil companies & Research Organizations. In its first meeting in Sept. 03, the issues related to Rapid Mass Transport System, Efficiency Improvement of vehicles, development of subways, flyovers, bypasses, expressways, carpooling, pollution due to vehicular emissions were discussed & action plan was worked out. This committee will help PCRA to work in synergy with other organizations.

Project on IIT, Delhi

In 2003-04; PCRA also sponsored a project on IIT, Delhi for usage of waste plastic in bitumen by emulsion formation. Emulsion of waste plastic & bitumen would result into more durable roads. This would be a cold process & thus pollution free & accident free. It would also save petroleum products & help in waste disposal.
Railway Over and Under Bridges:
Several decades ago, railway lines were built in and around Delhi keeping in view the then population densitites in various parts. In those days not many vehicles had to cross railway line every day. Now with incessant increase in spread of population in Delhi in areas which until a few years ago were uninhabited, development of new colonies on both sides of railway lines & explosion in vehicle population, no. of vehicle that need to cross railway lines daily, twice, in rush hours, has increased beyond all imagination. Most of the roads in Delhi are heavily congested. Particularly during office timings; vehicles run almost bumper-to-bumper. Roads in Delhi, are being developed in such a way that they skirt around the railway lines taking longer routes through an existing Railway Over Bridge (RoB) or Railway Under Bridge (RuB). Although, many flyovers on roads are being built to facilitate smooth traffic movement across Delhi and they are indeed helpful; yet they can’t meet the essential requirement of crossing a railway line. Now RoBs and RuBs are urgently required. Out of 15 flyovers constructed by PWD in Delhi till 2003, only one is RoB (at Okhla), and out of six and five flyovers completed by DDA and DTTDC respectively, none is RoB/RuB. RuBs at Tilak and Minto Bridges are good examples of the mesures taken more than 50 years ago to deal with the traffic volumes that existed then. They eased the traffic congestion to a great extent. Today Delhi is again in urgent need of many more RoBs/RuBs. Several important railway lines e.g. Western, Central and Northern railway lines cross Delhi at different sections. Human as well as vehicle population has grown all around them. Hence RoBs & RuBs are essentially required for going from one side of railway line to other side & proper traffic flow.
To facilitate construction of RoBs & RuBs, PCRA has sponsored another project on CRRI in 2003-2004 to identify places where such RoBs/RuBs are most required, feasible & cost economics thereof. CRRI shall carry out study in close association with other agencies working in this area like MCD, Indian Railways etc.
Traffic Synchronization:

In the recommendations of CRRI study, done on behalf of PCRA in 1996; traffic synchronization had been given much importance. Sequential system of synchronized traffic lights (SSTL) means that traffic lights are programmed to turn green when the traffic reaches the intersection from earlier intersections, thus allowing for continuous flow through the intersection(s). This system successfully does what would have been done; had there been "mini flyovers" at each intersection. It works far more efficiently; traffic flows continuously through all the intersections & not merely through the flyover intersection. The technology solutions that have been developed around the world for synchronization include the following:
o Installation of vehicle actuated traffic signals
o Optimization of signal timings
o Coordination on important routes.

As part of projects sponsored by PCRA, CRRI shall suggest solutions to reduce traffic congestion resulting fuel wastages & cost economics thereof. Thus location where traffic synchronization is required shall get identified. Methodology required for synchronization shall also be identified subsequently.

Reverse Counters:
The information system for traffic control plays an important role in its management. In advanced countries various high technologies at huge expense are employed to provide drivers with real time information. Such technologies are yet to be used in India. High cost is major deterrent.

Perhaps the first and simplest information system installed at Delhi with the initiative from PCRA study is the Reverse Timers at intersections which tell the drivers about balance time for which the signal would remain Red or Green. These reverse timers facilitate drivers to stop their engines at red lights, help them in crossing red lights smoothly & thus promote fuel conservation, reduce pollution & safe driving.

In 2003-04; PCRA, has sponsored on Delhi Traffic Police, installation of 50 such reverse counters at crowded traffic intersections in Delhi.

Speed Breakers:
Speed Breakers of varying sizes & styles are a normal sight on Indian roads. Most of them do not follow the required specifications i.e. Indian Road Congress (IRC) specifications. The commuter are sitting targets for fractures when vehicles pass through such speed breakers. Sudden brakes, excessively slow speed, damage to the vehicle result in fuel loss as well as unsafe travel.
According to IRC specifications, the width of a speed-breaker should be 370 cm or 12 ft 2 inches. The height of the breaker should be 10 cm. Roads should carry boards warning drivers that there are speed-breakers ahead. The speed- breakers should be visibly painted. If followed, these guidelines will help a great deal in fuel conservation & making travel safe.
In our weekly TV program “Khel Khel Mein Badlo Duniya” and radio program “Boond Boond Ki Baat” these issues were taken up during 2003-04 so as to educate people about necessity & methodology to build speed breakers correctly, if they do on their own in their respectively colonies. People at large have also been encouraged to take up such issues related to their colonies with appropriate authorities.
In our monthly Hindi Magazine ‘Sanrakshan Chetna’ the issues related to Zebra Crossing, median and sideway railings on Delhi roads were also covered for mass awareness. These aspects of road engineering also help in smooth flow of traffic.