Smart Solutions to Tehran’s Traffic Problems

EghtesadOnline: In the sprawling capital that is home to millions and never stops expanding, regulating the traffic congestion demands modern technology. As part of efforts to move Tehran a step closer to a decent and livable city, a smart traffic monitoring system was launched on Tuesday.

News ID: ۷۸۴۱۸۳

13 October 2018

The system is to be employed by the Traffic Police, the Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization and other urban service providers, IRNA reported.

Traffic surveillance data from smart cameras will be gathered at the center and analyzed by computer programs pinpointing crowded areas and traffic accidents automatically.

Tehran Traffic Police Chief Mohammad Reza Mehmandar says 20 million plus daily trips are made in the metropolis and this demands the application of more efficient and smarter management tools, Financial Tribune reported.

“The new smart monitoring center automatically pools data on traffic flow, road conditions, accidents, and air quality,” Mehmandar said.

Through the smart system, operators will be alerted on urban mishaps so they can dispatch emergency services to the exact location with a few clicks.

The system will also enable authorities to better monitor public transportation services and check whether drivers follow specific timetables.

Data gathered by the system will also be used to create on-demand traffic reports that will be broadcast on the radio to help people navigate the overcrowded roads.

Mehmandar said problems in urban infrastructure would be transmitted to the relevant municipal bodies in real time.

As a rapidly developing city, Tehran has long been struggling with nerve-racking traffic and air pollution, as well as other urban problems common to crowded capitals and metropolises across continents.

Experts hope the smart system can help authorities manage Tehran’s chaotic traffic and decrease road mortality.

> Room for Improvement

Actions so far taken to increase road safety, in particular in Tehran, have seemingly paid off as road accidents and death tolls have declined significantly over the past decade. However, data from the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization (the coroner’s office), show that during the five months to August 22, close to 7,060 people lost their lives in road mishaps in the country.

Deputy commander of the Law Enforcement Forces, Brigadier General Eskandar Momeni says, sleep-deprivation (fatigue), speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, running a red light, talking on the cell phone, text messaging and munching behind the wheel are the most serious driving violations leading to crashes.

He said there is a strong need to improve the public driving culture, adding that raising public awareness, educating people and applying more stringent rules can help curb road deaths.

New rules, he says, have been implemented by the Traffic Police, which bar vehicles lacking anti-lock braking system (ABS) from receiving a license plate. “We are trying to push domestic carmakers to equip their vehicles with booster seats for kids and have at least four airbags.”