CHENNAI: Motorists travelling on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH48) can soon look forward to receiving real time vital information, such as on traffic and weather conditions. The proposed system of periodic broadcasts, to be relayed via radio, will enable commuters to plan their journey accordingly.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has included the 349-kilometre stretch in the second phase of Highway Advisory System (HAS). Officials in the ministry told Express the free-of-cost facility was first launched on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway (NH8) last year and had received a positive response from the public.
“We now propose to expand the same project in 11 other highway stretches across the country, including Chennai-Bengaluru,” said a senior officer, on condition of anonymity. She added that the objective was to enable hassle-free and safe ride for users of National Highways. HAS seeks to provide live traffic updates and also improve general safety awareness.
The services of All India Radio (AIR) will initially be used for the purpose, with stations to be set up at several places along the route like Vellore and Dharmapuri. The information will be broadcast in Tamil and Kannada.
The ministry has already floated an expression of interest for engaging an agency in producing content and setting up a control centre. The broadcasts, to be aired in multiple slots of short time duration each day, will consist of both static and live content. The static content is expected to provide information on various safety-related aspects like speed limits and traffic rules, while the live update will be given from HAS control centres to the AIR stations.
The officer also said they are in discussions with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for allotting a dedicated frequency. “Nothing has been fixed, but there is a possibility of AIR fixing a frequency for the purpose.” The officer also added they also looking at disseminating information through mobile services like SMS.