‘Longer waits, manual overrides': Ex-top cop sparks debate on Bengaluru's new AI traffic signals
BJP leader and former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Wednesday condemned the use of artificial intelligence-powered traffic signals in the city, terming them 'counter productive'.
He took to social media site X and posted that the new AI-powered traffic signals in Bengaluru are causing longer waits and making commutes worse. Manual overrides are also becoming a common occurrence, he said. Rao, who first joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and switched to the BJP later, added that the "smart" electric meters in auto rickshaws are no better.
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'The New signals with AI in Bengaluru seems to be counter productive. Longer waiting time..!! Manual intervention is going on. Journey time is taking longer. Similar is the experience with Smart Electrical Meters, again manual intervention. Who in the Government is doing this,' he wrote.
'Exciting Intervention with IT…Brilliant IT Minister should also address constant 'Server Down' in Revenue and Sub Registrar offices.. @PriyankKharge can leave Trump and Modi to run the world, he could address t the Citizens Issues,' he added, tagging BESCOM, the power supply body of Bengaluru, as well as the city's Joint Commissioner of Police for traffic.
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He also shared a video of an auto rickshaw driver who echoed the sentiments and said the old signals were better for daily commutes. The post quickly garnered attention online, and accumulated over 13,000 views at the time this article is being written.
It also triggered a discussion on Bengaluru's never-ending traffic woes, with a social media user writing, 'Japanese have probably designed the algorithms considering lane discipline and roads of Japan . Tech is not translating to the chaos of our city.'
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'VAC signals are a farce, they have set a fixed timing for pedestrians and it defeats the very purpose of vehicle authentication, some signals turn red after 15 seconds even though a long pile up is there,' another posted.
"The Japanese "Moderato" AI traffic signals were just a huge waste of money! Instead of that, govt must've just speeded up metro construction," a user said.
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