Electronic billboards, SMSs and handheld devices are among the new technologies that will now be used to check traffic jams on the narrow and potholed roads of India’s IT capital.

The traffic police are also attempting to discipline Bangalore’s unruly three-wheeler autorickshaws and make them passenger-friendly.

Calling their campaign the “B-TRAC 2010″, the traffic police on Friday formally launched BTIS - Bangalore Transport Information System - for real time traffic monitoring.

Cell phone signals will be used to keep an eye on traffic movement. The B-TRAC is being implemented at an cost of about Rs400 million, a senior city police official said. Information gathered through this system will be made available to vehicle users via SMS, the web, electronic billboards and helplines to enable commuters to avoid congested locations. The information will help police tell commuters the estimated time required to reach a destination.

A website, www.btis.in, has also been launched so that one can become familiar with the system.

Apart from traffic snarl-ups, a major problem is violation of traffic rules and regulations. To haul up the guilty, a large number of policemen are being provided with Blackberry handsets.

The device will help police book cases on the spot and serve notice through wireless pocket printers.

Source: Gulfnews