Visakhapatnam is set to roll out project SARTHI (Systematic Augmented Radial Traffic and Hoop Induction), a technology-driven initiative intended to transform urban traffic management and ease vehicular flow across the city. The initiative aims to address persistent congestion and improve commuter safety by deploying integrated systems that enable centralised monitoring and adaptive control. City authorities have positioned the project as a core component of broader smart city objectives.

Tenders have been invited for the installation of an Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) at 90 major junctions and for the integration of an Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) across 101 junctions, all to be linked to the city operation centre. Three reputed agencies participated in the tender process and cleared the pre-qualification stage. Each agency has been allotted three strategic junctions to conduct proof of concept demonstrations of their technical solutions.

A high-level committee has been constituted to evaluate the demonstrations, comprising senior civic officials, engineers, law enforcement representatives and domain experts including university faculty and public health engineers. The committee has undertaken a meticulous review of technical presentations and system details submitted by participating agencies and will follow a transparent process to finalise the contractor selection. The evaluation framework will focus on system reliability, interoperability with existing infrastructure and operational scalability.

Once finalised, the ATCS will enable real-time adjustment of green signal timings based on live traffic density, reducing delays and maintaining uninterrupted flow during peak hours and VIP movements through centralised control. The artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled ITMS will be equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and red light violation detection (RLVD) cameras to detect violations automatically and generate e-challans, thereby strengthening enforcement and promoting responsible driving. Blending advanced technology with proactive urban governance, project SARTHI marks a significant step towards making Visakhapatnam a smart, safe and commuter-friendly city.