Bengaluru: Bengaluru Traffic Police has received a Commendation Award in Urban Transport from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for its use of big data analytics in traffic operations and evidence-based transport planning, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge announced.
The award recognises the impact of ASTraM, a data-driven initiative that integrates information from traffic signals, CCTV cameras, GPS and enforcement systems to support faster, better-informed decisions.
Sharing the announcement on social media, Kharge said the initiative had introduced adaptive traffic signals at 169 junctions and incorporated data from more than 6,500 Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses. The system also supports emergency movement through ePath technology for more than 300 ambulances.
According to the minister, the initiative has reduced ambulance travel time by 14 minutes, improved average traffic speeds by 15–20% and cut nearly 2,600 tonnes of emissions every month.
Kharge described the recognition as an endorsement of Bengaluru’s data-driven approach to urban mobility. He said the capabilities developed through ASTraM would strengthen the state’s proposed Urban Mobility Mission.
The upcoming mission aims to improve coordination among agencies, speed up responses to traffic challenges and support safer, smoother movement across Bengaluru.
