Latest news with #ASTRAM
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
‘Boots on the ground first, enforcement secondary': New Bengaluru traffic chief Karthik Reddy charts plan to address city traffic woes
An engineering graduate in Electronics and Communication from Bengaluru's RV College of Engineering, Karthik Reddy is at the helm of traffic management for one of world's most congested cities – Bengaluru. Reddy, a 2011 IPS officer, has served in various capacities throughout his career, but is taking over traffic management for the first time. He served as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Bijapur, Tumkur, and Ramanagara. His last posting was as SP Wireless, Bengaluru, where he was involved in steering communication networks with technology across police departments. Just around three days old to the new job, Reddy has charted out a to-do list to address Bengaluru's traffic woes. From prioritizing traffic management with the police on ground to reinforcing carpooling and public transport systems, Reddy speaks to The Indian Express on his plan of action. Excerpts from the interview: Q: What is your primary goal as a traffic chief? Karthik Reddy: We are focusing on 'boots on the ground,' ensuring police presence at major junctions by 7 am to manage early morning traffic. Officers are required to report and send photos to confirm their presence using the ASTRAM application. Additionally, we are strictly enforcing a 2014 government order that prohibits heavy vehicles in the city from 7 am to 11 am and 4.30 pm to 9 pm. Our major role is traffic regulation and management, especially during peak hours. Enforcement is stricter during non-peak hours, but the focus during peak times is on ensuring smoother vehicle movement. Q: What is your assessment of Bengaluru traffic and what are the major challenges you face? Reddy: The traffic situation in Bengaluru remains challenging, particularly in areas like the Outer Ring Road (between KR Puram and Silk Board), where congestion is significant. For instance, the 3-4 km stretch near Ecoworld and EcoSpace tech parks takes about 45 minutes to one hour to cross due to heavy vehicle flow, with around 1.6 lakh vehicles daily entering these tech parks alone. From Monday we are installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in these tech parks to gauge the exact number of vehicles entering and exiting to manage traffic flow. We are planning to see if we can interconnect the tech parks to ensure seamless vehicular flow. Q: How are you addressing the high vehicle volume in tech park areas like Ecoworld and Ecospace? Reddy: There are two ways to go about it — short term and long term. In the short term we can ensure easy flow of vehicles into tech parks and then maybe convince the companies to promote carpooling, shuttle bus services and encourage public transport to reduce vehicle numbers, as was done during Covid lockdown. Long-term, is to tap into the big scale mobility infrastructure plan (metro) to reduce congestion. Q: What are the plans to tackle parking issues contributing to congestion? Reddy: We are strictly enforcing no-parking rules to prevent road narrowing due to illegal parking, which significantly impacts traffic flow. Q: How do you handle traffic disruptions caused by civic works and contractors? Reddy: Contractors often delay completing roadworks or clearing debris, exacerbating congestion. We conduct simulations before approving roadworks to assess diversion impacts. If contractors fail to complete the stalled works within seven days, we will issue notices and may register cases or direct civic agencies to blacklist them. Q: What measures are being taken to address rain-related traffic congestions? Reddy: Our staff report waterlogging incidents with photos, which are shared with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on the Astram app via platforms like Google Maps and MapMyIndia. Notifications are sent to respective BBMP's assistant engineers to resolve issues promptly. The Astram app is not just for police or commuters, it is for all stakeholders. For this we will be integrating BBMP's data to improve coordination. Additionally, we are writing to Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to place wreckers (tow truck) at six important places which will be pressed into action, when buses or any heavy vehicles breakdown to clear the road during rains. Q: How effective is adaptive traffic signaling in managing congestion? Reddy: Adaptive signaling is a machine-learning process, and it's still learning after 6-7 months of implementation. Manual intervention is used for emergencies, such as clearing paths for ambulances, but 95-96% of the time, we rely on adaptive signaling. Q: Any plans to keep a tab on violations by delivery riders (eg: Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto)? Reddy: We've launched daily, weekly, and monthly drives targeting violations like footpath riding and one-way traffic breaches by violators. Q: How do you respond to people moving to other cities like Pune or Hyderabad due to Bengaluru's traffic? Reddy: It's understandable, but commuters should also be aware of the efforts being made to address the situation. Traffic challenges are complex. But we are implementing both short-term and long-term measures to improve flow and reduce congestion.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Armed intruder breaks into Bengaluru pub, loots cash and destroys CCTV cameras: Report
Bengaluru police leverage AI and technology to manage traffic, using ASTRAM and VANKi systems with 1,500 CCTV cameras, adaptive traffic signals, and drones. The approach reduces wait times, enhances enforcement, and improves emergency services through digital innovations.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
How AI is quietly reshaping Bengaluru police: From AI-powered traffic management to drone surveillance
In a candid conversation on Nikhil Kamath's podcast, Bengaluru's top police officials revealed how they are leveraging cutting-edge technology, from AI to drones, to manage the city's notorious traffic and enhance overall policing. Police Commissioner B Dayananda and Joint Commissioner MN Anucheth offered a rare behind-the-scenes look into the city's high-tech command centre and the tools powering smarter enforcement. At the heart of this tech-forward approach are two key platforms: ASTRAM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management) and VANKi (Visual Aerial Network for Knowledgeable Insights). (Also Read: Nikhil Kamath says metro work near his Bengaluru home has dragged on for 10 years) The ASTRAM system, built on AI and big data, processes inputs from over 1,500 CCTV cameras, traffic apps, and ground intelligence to monitor 21 high-density corridors covering more than 3,500 kilometers. It tracks real-time disruptions, from accidents to protests, and pushes alerts to platforms like Google Maps, enabling quicker rerouting and emergency response. At 165 key junctions, AI-based adaptive traffic signals now dynamically adjust signal times based on real-time traffic volume and historical patterns. The system has cut average wait times by up to 22 per cent and reduced the need for manual intervention at signals from 40 per cent to just 5 per cent. For aerial insights, VANKi drones are deployed during peak hours, providing bird's-eye visuals of gridlocks and hidden bottlenecks, such as vehicle breakdowns not visible at ground level. Enforcement, too, is going digital. The Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) uses AI to detect violations like helmetless riding or skipping seat belts. While fines are automatically generated, officers manually review them to avoid errors. With 99.9 per cen of payments now cashless, the police claim this has nearly eliminated corruption in traffic enforcement. To build accountability and trust, every traffic cop now wears a body camera, while patrol vehicles are tracked with IoT-enabled GPS. According to Anucheth, these devices have helped resolve most citizen complaints — often showing the officer in the right. The police also run a priority ambulance service, where emergency vehicles can request green corridor support via an app-based system called E-Path. 'Every day, about 20 to 22 ambulances benefit from this,' said Anucheth. The officers also showcased the newly opened Bangalore Traffic Museum, designed to educate citizens about road safety and the city's evolving traffic management systems. The podcast offered a rare peek into how India's tech capital is attempting to use data, automation, and transparency to untangle its civic challenges — starting with the streets. (Also Read: Bomb hoax delays Bengaluru-bound Karnataka Express by 3 hours, four held for questioning)
