NOIDA: The Noida Authority is all set to implement a hi-tech Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway from December. The Authority on Tuesday selected an Austrian company to roll out the Rs 26.8 crore project that is expected to bring down the accident rate on the road by about 25%.Officials said the system will be in place within six months of implementation. Efkon India Limited, which is part of the Austrian parent company Starpack, has already implemented this high-tech system on Yamuna Expressway. For the ITS to be effective, the Authority also plans to set up a Rs 36 crore Traffic Park to teach commuters traffic sense.The move comes in the wake of a safety audit by Central Road Research Institute carried out in July this year. According to the report, the expressway is a death-trap for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Speeding cars and light commercial vehicles are the primary cause of road accidents. Noida Authority had invited global consultants to launch the project after getting a nod from IIT-Delhi.Officials said that the ITS is expected to monitor and manage traffic flow on the expressway. “The system will minimize accidents,” said Sandeep Chandra, the technical head for the project, who also holds charge of traffic in the city.

Since its inception in 2002, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway has been the site of hundreds of deaths. Around 55 people have lost their lives while hundreds have been injured this year already. “Accident rate on the expressway will decline if the traffic police can strictly enforce rules along with the implementation of the ITS. Around 50% accidents occur due to lack of traffic sense among commuters, which needs to change,” Chandra said.

With the ITS, cameras would be placed at a height of 14 metres to detect movement up to a distance of 280 metres. Large LED display boards will caution motorists about road and weather conditions.

The system will also help measure traffic data in real time, detect incidents and congestions automatically and inform road users about travel time, road closures, diversions, rerouting and all major events. “Important features would include a control room, emergency call box, message signboards, CCTV cameras, speed cameras, automatic number plate readers, VID camera and meteorological data system,” Chandra said.

The most important feature of the system will be reduced response time to an accident. ITS will guide road users to adapt speed to ensure smoother flow of traffic and help coordinate policing and emergency services. “The expressway will be under surveillance 24/7 which will also help curb crime on the e-way,” Chandra said.