City motorists are facing slow torture with the automated traffic signal system installed by the traffic cops and the ongoing Hyderabad metro rail works. In the coming days, things are said to worsen as the metro rail construction picks up pace conceded by the authorities.

During peak hours, the average traffic speed in the city has come down from 12 km per hour to 6-9 km per hour at certain stretches stated the traffic police. The reason behind the issue is due to the carriageway becoming narrower with the metro rail works on along with the signaling system becoming ineffective.

221 traffic signals in the GHMC limit were automated, synchronized, connected to the traffic command control rooms in Hyderabad, Cyberabad police as part of the Rs 66.5 crore Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Management System (HTRIMS). The HTRIMS project using the Vehicle Actuated Technology, the Synchronized Signal and Corridor Management method with live CCTV feed of traffic is aimed at easing the traffic by automatic change of traffic signals for the particular road fluctuating demand.

Ironically, the metro rail works too picked up pace as the HTRIMS became functional in 2013-14. The roads became narrower on several stretches; therefore signals had to be shifted to make way for the construction activities.

Result was that the traffic speed came down drastically on important stretches like Punjagutta-Mythrivanam, Khairatabad-Punjag utta, Rasoolpura junction, MJ Market junction, CTO junction on the Sardar Patel (SP) road, Neeru's junction on Road Number 36 of Jubilee Hills, Karkhana-Trimulgherry X roads, Nalgonda X Roads to Chaderghat stretch and Lakdikapul junction.

Cops are manually operating at least 50% of the 221 signals as the automated signaling system is not able to serve the purpose in the congested stretches.

Source: THI