Gurugram smart signals struggle in rush hours, cops switch to manual mode

Traffic personnel said sudden lane changes, two-wheelers and spillovers overwhelm the system at IFFCO, Rajiv, Subhash and Vatika Chowk.

Gurugram’s newly installed multi-crore smart traffic signal network, designed to read traffic volumes and autonomously adjust light timings, is struggling during peak-hour congestion, forcing traffic personnel to frequently override the system and manually regulate movement at several busy junctions.

Gurugram smart signals struggle in rush hours, cops switch to manual mode

Under the first phase, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is upgrading 111 intersections across sectors 1 to 55 at ₹12.5 crore. Another 32 locations in sectors 58 to 115 have been identified for the second phase at ₹7.46 crore. GMDA has installed 141 smart sensor cameras for the Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS).

GMDA officials said all 111 intersections and 141 cameras are currently fully functional. The tender requires the contractor to maintain the cameras for seven years from completion of installation, with maintenance costs included in the tender amount.

Officials said there are no recorded instances of prolonged breakdowns. Disruptions are rare, generally during extended power cuts, and the cameras have two batteries. Three teams conduct weekly checks.

The system uses vehicle detector cameras to assess traffic volumes on each approach and adjust green-light durations. The network is linked to the GMDA’s Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to monitor vehicular flow.

However, at congestion-prone junctions including IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Subhash Chowk and Vatika Chowk, traffic personnel said the system is frequently overwhelmed by sudden lane changes, two-wheelers squeezing through gaps and bumper-to-bumper spillovers.

Assistant commissioner of police (traffic, headquarters and highways), Satyapal Yadav, told HT, “Traffic on-ground officials often override the automatic signals based on the vehicular congestion and unforeseen instances like waterlogging or route diversions. There are no specific protocols we follow, but traffic personnel often have to switch off the automatic timers regularly to control traffic situations on the ground.”

An HT check across multiple junctions over the last week found signals along Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road and Vatika Chowk were heavily manually controlled, particularly during evenings. A signal near Sector 70 along the SPR road was regularly blocked from one side during evening hours. At the junction, HT also found that the traffic light was often non-functional and officials were absent.

A traffic police officer near Vatika Chowk said the system works during steady afternoon traffic but struggles during morning and evening rush hours, forcing personnel to switch to manual mode to prevent kilometre-long queues.

Manoj Saini, a GMDA official who looks after the Smart City Signal project, told HT, “Our focus is to ensure zero manual intervention on the roads, and for that the traffic police officials and GMDA are working in synergy to devise strategies to achieve our goal.”

Saini said cameras detect vehicular movement within 20-30 metres and adjust signals accordingly. He acknowledged that heavy dust can blur their vision and periodic system breakdowns can prevent traffic detection.

GMDA has three on-ground teams to address breakdowns, with cameras repaired within four hours, he said. The frequent failures and consequent manual intervention, however, raise questions over the effectiveness of the multi-crore project.