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Busy Rampura Chowk gets smart traffic signals
Gurugram Based on the recommendation of the Gurugram traffic police, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has installed intelligent traffic system
Gurugram Based on the recommendation of the Gurugram traffic police, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has installed intelligent traffic system (ITS) signals at Rampura Chowk, one of the most congested intersections in the newer sectors. Locals say the three signals installed last Saturday have significantly reduced congestion and also made crossing it safer.
The intersection is located on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, below a flyover that opened in 2016, and has become heavily congested, especially over the last three years, after thousands of residents started living in the sectors 81-95.
Until now, the crossing did not have a traffic signal. In July, traffic police had inspected the spot and recommended the GMDA to install traffic lights. Subsequently, the GMDA floated a ₹28-lakh tender for installing the facility at the junction and awarded the contract in August.
Due to the model code of conduct being enforced for the 2019 Haryana elections, the work was suspended and the project was completed last week, said GMDA officials.
“During our spot visits to the junction, traffic police observed that the traffic volume was extremely high at Rampura Chowk during peak hours. At non-peak hours, vehicles from all sides were crossing the junction at high speeds. Due to the congestion and high possibility of collisions, we immediately recommended the GMDA to install traffic lights at the junction,” said Himanshu Garg, deputy commissioner of police, Gurugram traffic police, who also holds the charge of additional CEO, mobility division of GMDA.
With the help of optical fibre cables, sensors and CCTV cameras, the software in the ITS gauges the volume of traffic automatically and times the lights accordingly, providing a longer green light on the carriageway with the heaviest volume.
Besides traffic flow from the service lanes of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, the intersection also facilitates traffic from Naurangpur Road and converging sector roads. Commercial establishments located on all sides of the junction compound the congestion during peak hours.
Commuters said that since the installation of ITS, they save five to 10 minutes of daily travel time.
“The problem with junctions without traffic lights is that vehicles from all sides try to make their way to the other side, all at the same time. Often, they come head-on and do not have space to steer their vehicle, leading to a bottleneck that can take anywhere between two to 20 minutes to clear. Thus, the installation of signals brings some certainty in this regard and also makes it safer to cross in night,” Rohan Sidhu, a resident of Sector 81, said.
