New Delhi: Bengaluru has officially been ranked as India’s most congested city, with Mumbai coming in second, according to the latest Traffic Quality Index (TQI). The index assesses traffic conditions and places Bengaluru in the extreme congestion category, scoring between 800 and 1,000 points.
Mumbai closely trails with a score of 787, while Delhi and Hyderabad occupy the third and fourth positions with scores of 747 and 718, respectively. This report was unveiled at the Mobility Symposium organized by Move In Sync, a provider of employee commute solutions.
Deepesh Agarwal, co-founder of Move In Sync, explained that the TQI is modeled after the air quality index (AQI) to better communicate traffic conditions. The data indicates that 8 a.m. is the most favorable time for navigating Bengaluru’s streets, whereas congestion peaks at 6 p.m.
Notably, the infamous Silk Board Junction in Bengaluru, long known for its traffic woes, has seen improvements in flow. The recently inaugurated double-decker flyover has significantly eased congestion, reducing delays for commuters. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East) Kuldeep Kumar Jain, congestion alerts at Silk Board have decreased by 50%, dropping from 24 daily alerts to 15. The average queue length has also shrunk from 19 km to 10 km.
Despite these advancements, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anucheth M N acknowledged that managing peak-hour traffic remains a significant challenge, even with the implementation of AI-powered cameras and a network of 9,000 CCTV cameras feeding data into traffic management systems.
To further address congestion, the traffic department plans to introduce advanced traffic simulators at 55 major junctions. O.P. Agarwal, a senior advisor at WRI India, emphasized the importance of understanding Bengaluru’s unique traffic challenges and tailoring solutions accordingly.
In addition, Bengaluru police are enhancing their AI-driven surveillance to tackle rampant traffic violations. The updated system will now monitor 13 types of offenses, automatically issuing fines to violators. Current violations detected by AI-powered cameras include speeding, mobile phone use while driving, and running red lights, among others. The new system will also identify illegal number plates, wrong-side driving, and illegal parking.
Infosys director Mohandas Pai has proposed that the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) explore public-private partnerships to address the city’s bus shortage, similar to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s approach to airline operations. He also suggested developing a “digital twin” of Bengaluru to analyze traffic patterns over the past five years, which could help identify congestion hotspots for targeted interventions. Pai recommended that urban expert R.K. Misra lead a team of top tech professionals, akin to Nandan Nilekani’s leadership in the Aadhaar project, to find solutions to Bengaluru’s ongoing traffic challenges.