In a unique initiative, commuters on the Delhi-Jaipur highway can now plan their journey with the aid of live radio updates on traffic flow, a service which is similar to the system prevalent in the US, Canada, Singapore and other advanced nations.
launching the Highways Advisory Service (HAS) as a pilot project for National Highway No. 8 on Thursday, Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said the model would be extended to pan-India soon. Under Phase 1, existing All India Radio (AIR) stations located in Delhi, Alwar and Jaipur will broadcast live traffic updates.
HAS is a free-to-air information distribution system that will use the radio to make travelling on National Highways safer, faster and hassle-free. Gadkari said the contract has been signed with AIR to buy time for Phase 1 of the pilot project in which 22 bulletins will be issued daily.
He said the Government is committed to reduce fatalities caused by road accidents by 50 per cent and HAS is an aid that will help achieve this target. India accounts for about five lakh road accidents per annum in which 1.5 lakh people are killed while another 3 lakh are crippled for life.
“The radio broadcasts will also raise people’s awareness about road safety, which is very necessary for making our highways safe for commuters,” Gadkari added.
The Government had earlier said the possibility of a single frequency for the whole country is being examined subject to viability and other regulatory clearances.
Under the project, real-time highway information will be gathered from concessionaires, patrol vehicles, toll plazas and traffic marshals.
The current project will be implemented in three phases.
By Phase II it is expected to augment the broadcast infrastructure to cover the entire stretch of the highway, install sensors to gather additional real-time traffic information, broadcast in both Analog & Digital Radio mode and do impact measurement through an external agency.
By Phase III, HAS services will be only in digital broadcasting mode and there will be monitoring and third party audits.
