“Over the last few years, there has been a significant development in transport and infrastructure, with technology playing a major enabler in the whole system. NIC is also happy to be part of the MLFF system through engagement with MoRTH, NHAI, IHMCL and other agencies, providing technology solutions for implementation of e-notices and the enforcement part of the MLFF system,” says Joydeep Shome, Deputy Director General, Government of India, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, National Informatics Centre.
NIC has made commendable progress in terms of providing technology solutions to the mobility sector…
The transport ecosystem has seen many technology-driven innovations, making many services more automated and user-friendly for citizens. For example, there are hundreds of RTO-related services used by both citizens and commercial entities like Transporters, in obtaining a driving license, registering a vehicle, taking a permit or transferring ownership etc. In the earlier days, the entire process was very complex. One had to visit the RTO in person, and it was challenging because the system was not user-friendly. Now the current focus of the Government and the Ministry (MoRTH) is to simplify processes as much as possible for citizens and businesses, including transporters and allied stakeholders.
In that direction, we have provided a range of solutions. Many processes have been automated and a lot of emphasis has been put on online citizen-centric services, where citizens no longer need to visit RTOs for services. For example, all transport related services like vehicle transfer, license renewal and applying for a learner license can now be completed entirely online without visiting the RTO at all. Except for a few services like driving tests or vehicle fitness inspections that require a physical visit, nearly 90% of RTO services are now fully online and faceless. The central and state Governments, are now making all efforts to deliver better services to citizens, and that is the real good news.
Road Safety remains the major concern …
Around three years ago, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, introduced a system called iRAD, Integrated Road Accident Database; where we provided a mobile solution to report accidents directly from the spot.
Earlier, accident reporting did not have a proper system and there were significant data gaps. Now the police go to the accident spot and record it on the iRAD app using geolocation, timestamps, videos and images. This information is then integrated with the VAHAN system for vehicle details, SARATHI for driving license information, and later with CCTNS for FIR generation and other relevant data. Integration also occurs with the road-owning agency to check for road defects, because accidents do not happen solely due to driver negligence, they can also be caused by road engineering defects. There is also connectivity with the health department, ensuring coordination with ambulances and hospitals. All these are linked with iRAD, creating a complete ecosystem for accident management systems.
Additionally, MoRTH has introduced a cashless treatment plan, enabling any road accident victim to receive free treatment across the country. Accident claims are also connected to the courts that eases the citizen’s pain, because even after an accident, claiming insurance involves a lot of hassle and take a long time.
Initiatives for tracking the health of our roads…
The Government has launched several initiatives, including drone-based mapping of roads throughout construction, implementation and operation. It has also introduced crowdsourcing, allowing citizens to report deficiencies, not just for roads, but across the entire system. Roads are one area where we are introducing the NextGen mParivahan mobile app. Already developed and under testing, it will soon be rolled out in several states, allowing citizens to report any road defects simply by taking a photo and uploading it. The reports are then sent to the control room to be acted upon by the police or the concerned authority.
We have already implemented a similar system for accident reporting. Citizens can report accidents directly from the spot, with geolocation and time automatically recorded. They can take photos of the vehicles and the accident site, upload them and the information is instantly sent to the police control room for action.
Similarly, we have introduced an eChallan system. Apart from police-based and camera-based challan issuing, we have implemented a crowd-based mechanism. Citizens can also report traffic violations. There are around 11 or 12 types of offenses they can report, including triple riding, riding without helmets, jumping red lights, riding against traffic and more.
Regarding roads specifically, this system is also integrated with the eDAR/iRAD systems. In case of an accident, the road-owning agency can visit the site, identify engineering defects and ensure they are rectified. Black spot reporting is automatically integrated into this system.
What is the role of the road owning agency?
Yes, in the iRAD system it is mandatory that for any major accident involving casualty or grievous injury, the road-owning agency must visit the site and submit report through iRAD. Since this is linked to court cases, this information is necessary. The agency has to go there and submit an engineering defect report. It was also mentioned in the discussion that accident black spots are identified as part of the system.
Earlier, black spots were identified empirically. People would go to a location and check how many accidents had occurred in the last three or five years. Now, the process is data-driven. Everything is based on data because the iRAD system automatically tracks this, thanks to GIS integration. You can see exactly which road stretches have had how many accidents and the number of deaths or grievous injuries. The road-owning agency is responsible for correcting any engineering defects, making accountability an integral part of the system.
The role of IT in crowd/management during big events..
At any major events, IT plays a crucial role. During the last Kumbh Mela, a lot of integration was carried out because crowd management was a crucial part of the event. Our organization NIC was closely involved in traffic management, crowd management, logistics, and more. It played a significant role. AI-based solutions were also implemented to track crowd movement, understand directions and plan special precautions, such as ambulance placement and the diversion of movement, to assist the police in managing the crowd effectively.
Recently, I saw an IT system developed by NIC in West Bengal for the Ganga Sagar Mela, where millions of people gather on a single day. Earlier there used to be a lot of accidents. Planning starts years in advance and IT systems are developed well in time. Because, AI has emerged as a key enabler across the system, it is increasingly being used to enhance end-to-end crowd management and improve logistical planning.
