Real-time highway traffic updates soon on radio, says transport minister Gadkari

To provide real-time traffic updates to commuters, the government will start highway radio services on various national highways spread across 13 states.

To provide real-time traffic updates to commuters, government will start highway radio services on various national highways spread across 13 states.

Transport minister Nitin Gadkari speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI/ TV grab)

Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday that highway radio services has been started on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.

Phase I of the pilot project on Highway Advisory Services to provide real-time traffic updates was implemented on Delhi-Jaipur NH-8 and the pilot project was implemented under the World Bank Technical Assistance programme, he added.

During Question Hour, Gadkari said highway radio services would be started on various national highways spread across 13 states.

“Phase II of the pilot project, which is also being funded under the World Bank Technical Assistance programme, wherein the pilot will be implemented on more stretches, has been approved,” he noted.

The project’s Phase I was implemented from March 10 to October 10 last year.

“Through All India Radio stations in Delhi, Alwar and Jaipur, real time traffic updates of duration five minutes each, was provided in 18 bulletins every day.

He said the ministry has commissioned an independent study to evaluate the impact of the pilot project and the preliminary findings of the study are encouraging.