Mysuru to go Bengaluru way to regulate traffic

Mysuru is set to join Bengaluru in hosting a technology-based traffic improvement project. In this direction, a Rs 40 crore five-year technology-based Mysuru Traffic Improvement Project (M-track), which is modelled on the country’s first such called Bengaluru Traffic Improvement Project (B-Track) has been sanctioned.

In Bengaluru, the project was introduced in 2010 when the current Mysuru police commissioner, M A Saleem, was the Bengaluru City Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic).

For implementing the project, the Karnataka State Road Development Corporation (KSRDC), Airtel and Themax among other technology companies are co-operating in implementing the M-track. The second stage of the project will cover law and order.

Besides this, a well-planned police commissioner’s building is also coming up where the offices are housed. It would be ready in about a year, the police commissioner adds.

Meanwhile, the Mysuru city may soon adopt the Dubai model to tackle the traffic, and law and order challenges arising out of the expansion of the city and the increasing vehicle density.

Efforts to improve law and order and traffic, though, has been paying dividends, Saleem feels more needs to be done to place the city on a better footing.

Mysuru has not grown to be as unwieldy as Bengaluru. This is a positive for the city. Hence, the policing issues can be tackled better and faster, and with fewer hassles. “More focus can be provided here. The traffic is less compared to Bengaluru,” he says.

Speaking to Business Standard, he said Bengaluru has already seen an improvement in traffic management. “In fact, the traffic management model in Bengaluru is the most advanced in the country,” the police chief said, recalling some of the measures he had initiated there.

He has already brought about new technology-driven measures like regular postings on Facebook, awareness creation on traffic and road discipline, and trying to identify offenders online.

Hoardings aimed at creating awareness of laws and rules are seen at important places in the city. He has introduced ‘Public Eye’ where one can post photos relating to violations.

These and other steps like strict enforcement of helmet rules, regular traffic checks, issual of automatic chellan slips for fines since a year and half have brought down road deaths from 105 in 2013 to 96 in 2014. Fines collected have almost doubled to almost Rs 7 crore from Rs 3.92 crore in 2013. Chain snatching cases are less by 25-30 per cent, from 105 in 2013 to 46 in 2014. There is visible fall both in crime rate and road accidents.

“There is already 60 per cent improvement,” Salim claims adding, “We propose to extend coverage in respect of automatic chellen slips issual from present 60 per cent to 100 per cent next year. Our aim is that no one should be checked on road. This should be totally eliminated,” he says.

Narrating the Dubai police system, the operation of the control room there, which he has seen during his visits to that country, Salim says, “The road deaths were only seven there. They have adopted technology efficiently. They have built up a good data base of profiles of criminals which alerts the security men immediately, the Police Commissioner says.