ASTraM and adaptive traffic signals win award for BTP

The award-winning initiative leverages artificial intelligence (AI), big data and real-time traffic information to improve traffic management, facilitate emergency response and enable data-driven urban mobility planning in Bengaluru.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has won the Commendation Award in Urban Transport from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, for its initiative, Data-Driven Traffic Management in Bengaluru.

The award recognises the city’s use of big data analytics for traffic operations, congestion management and evidence-based transport planning.

Congratulating the BTP, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said: “As our cities grow, we need to strengthen coordination between agencies and adopt smarter, technology-driven approaches to urban mobility. This capability will strengthen our upcoming Urban Mobility Mission, helping agencies plan together, respond faster and build safer, smoother mobility across Bengaluru.”

The award-winning initiative leverages artificial intelligence (AI), big data and real-time traffic information to improve traffic management, facilitate emergency response and enable data-driven urban mobility planning in Bengaluru. At the core of the initiative is ASTraM, an integrated operational platform that brings together data from traffic signals, CCTV systems, GPS feeds, incidents, accidents, enforcement systems, maps and multiple government agencies. By consolidating these diverse data sources, the platform enables traffic managers to move from reactive decision-making to proactive, intelligence-led traffic operations.

A key component of the initiative is the deployment of AI-based adaptive traffic signal control at 169 junctions, enabling signals to respond dynamically to real-time traffic demand. The platform also leverages data from more than 6,500 BMTC buses, manages over 2,400 emergency movements and supports more than 300 ambulances integrated through ePath to facilitate priority movement across the city.

According to the award submission, the initiative has reported significant improvements in urban mobility and emergency response, including an average ambulance travel-time saving of 14 minutes, a 15-20% improvement in average travel speeds, and an estimated reduction of about 2,600 tonnes of emissions every month.

Beyond real-time traffic management, the integrated data ecosystem supports evidence-based transport planning by helping authorities identify congestion bottlenecks, assess interventions, prioritise infrastructure investments and strengthen coordination among stakeholders. It also supports road-safety initiatives, emergency response and long-term urban mobility planning.