By Arcadis
The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), established in 1963, is a specialised division of the Karnataka State Police tasked with managing and regulating traffic in Bengaluru, one of India’s most populous and rapidly growing metropolitan cities. As the capital of Karnataka and the country’s premier technology hub, Bengaluru is home to over 14 million residents and a vehicular population exceeding 12 million. This exponential growth has placed immense pressure on the city’s road infrastructure, leading to chronic congestion, increased road accidents and environmental degradation.
BTP’s mission is to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable mobility for all road users. To achieve this, the department has adopted a multi-pronged strategy that combines enforcement, education, engineering and technology. Over the years, BTP has evolved from a traditional enforcement agency into a tech-savvy, citizen-centric organisation that leverages data analytics, digital platforms and public-private partnerships to address urban mobility challenges. The department’s proactive approach includes real-time traffic monitoring, dynamic signal management, public awareness campaigns, and collaboration with civic agencies to improve road infrastructure and safety.
Urban congestion and its widespread impact
Urban traffic congestion presents a complex and deeply entrenched challenge with significant implications for daily life, economic productivity, environmental sustainability and public health. In 2023, Bengaluru was ranked the sixth most congested city in the world, with commuters spending an average of 71 minutes per day stuck in traffic. During peak hours, travel speeds on key corridors such as the stretch from Silk Board to Electronic City often plummet below 10 km per hour, turning short commutes into hour-long delays.
This chronic gridlock extends beyond personal inconvenience. The economic toll of congestion in Bengaluru was estimated at $2.5 billion in 2023, accounting for lost productivity, excessive fuel consumption, and accelerated vehicle wear and tear. The city’s vital IT sector reported a 15-20 per cent decline in employee productivity due to prolonged commutes. Emergency response services are also hindered, with ambulances and fire trucks frequently delayed, resulting in slower response times and preventable fatalities.
Environmental degradation is another pressing concern. Vehicular emissions are responsible for approximately 42 per cent of Bengaluru’s PM2.5 pollution, contributing to deteriorating air quality and a rise in respiratory illnesses. A 2023 study by Greenpeace India estimated the annual health-related costs of air pollution in the city at $1.2 billion.
Traditional traffic management systems, characterised by fixed signal timings, manual oversight and delayed incident reporting are ill-suited to address the dynamic and evolving nature of urban traffic. This underscored the urgent need for a transformative, technology-driven solution capable of delivering a smarter, safer, and more sustainable traffic ecosystem.
Project introduction
Bengaluru, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, is a rapidly growing metropolis that faces persistent traffic congestion due to its expanding population and vehicle density. To address these urban mobility challenges, the Bengaluru Adaptive Traffic Control System (B-ATCS) was launched in March 2024 as a transformative initiative aimed at optimising traffic flow through the use of cutting-edge technology.
B-ATCS leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time data analytics to dynamically manage traffic signals across the city. By April 2025, the system had been successfully deployed at 169 traffic junctions, marking a significant milestone as it transitioned into its operations and maintenance phase.
A key innovation within B-ATCS is the Emergency Vehicle Priority System, which enables ambulances, and other emergency responders to receive signal priority at intersections. This system uses GPS-based tracking and real-time communication to detect approaching emergency vehicles and automatically adjust signal phases, ensuring they can pass through traffic with minimal delay. This not only improves emergency response times but also enhances public safety outcomes across the city.
This project represents a major step toward creating a smart, responsive and scalable urban traffic management system, aligning with the broader goals of sustainable urban development and smart city initiatives. Through its innovative approach, B-ATCS aims to reduce travel time, lower vehicular emissions and enhance the overall commuting experience for Bengaluru’s residents.
Development and implementation journey of B-ATCS
The B-ATCS project was conceived as a strategic response to Bengaluru’s escalating traffic congestion and its associated socio-economic and environmental impacts. The journey from concept to implementation was structured in well-defined phases, ensuring a robust scalable and context-sensitive deployment.
Conceptualisation and planning
- Problem identification: Bengaluru’s traffic congestion, economic losses and environmental degradation highlighted the need for a smarter traffic management system.
- Stakeholder engagement: Key stakeholders including BTP, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Arcadis IBI Group and Infra Support collaborated to define the project scope and objectives.
Core technology: CoSiCoSt
- CoSiCoSt (Coordinated Signal Control Strategy) is the technological backbone of B-ATCS.
- Developed by C-DAC, CoSiCoSt is uniquely tailored for India’s non-lane- based, heterogeneous traffic conditions.
- It uses real-time traffic data, AI algorithms and predictive modelling to dynamically adjust signal timings, ensuring optimal traffic flow across intersections.
Phased implementation strategy
Phase I: Infrastructure deployment and system integration
- Upgraded 155 existing junctions and installed 14 new ones, totalling 169 adaptive signals.
- Deployed sensors, cameras and communication systems to collect and transmit real-time traffic data.
Phase II: Testing, calibration and optimisation
- Conducted rigorous testing of signal behaviour under various traffic scenarios.
- Fine-tuned AI algorithms and synchronisation protocols to ensure corridor-level efficiency.
Phase III: Operations and maintenance
- Transitioned to full-scale operations in April 2025.
- Established a centralised command and control centre for real-time monitoring, remote configuration and incident management.
Integration and future readiness
Designed for seamless integration with public transport systems, emergency vehicles and pedestrian infrastructure.
- Future upgrades include IoT-based vehicle tracking, weather and event data integration, and predictive traffic modelling.
Unique features of B-ATCS
- AI-driven adaptive signal control: Utilises real-time traffic data and AI to dynamically adjust signal timings based on current traffic conditions at each junction.
- CoSiCoSt technology: Built on the CoSiCoSt platform developed by C-DAC, specifically tailored for India’s heterogeneous and non-lane-based traffic patterns.
- Corridor synchronisation (green waves): Enables the synchronisation of signals along major corridors to create “green waves”, reducing stop-and-go traffic and improving travel time.
- Centralised command and control centre: Facilitates real-time monitoring, remote configuration, and rapid incident response across all connected junctions.
- Scalable infrastructure: Currently operational at 169 junctions, with the capability to scale to over 500 intersections city-wide.
- Data-driven governance: Provides actionable insights for urban mobility planning and policy formulation through continuous data collection and analytics.
- Emergency vehicle priority system: Uses GPS-based tracking and real-time communication to detect approaching emergency vehicles such as ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
- Automatically adjusts signal phases to provide a clear path, reducing response times and enhancing public safety.
- Integration–ready architecture: Designed to integrate with public transport systems (e.g., BMTC buses), emergency vehicles, pedestrian crossings and IoT- based vehicle tracking.
Key benefits of B-ATCS
- Reduced travel time: Achieves up to 25 per cent reduction in average travel time, easing commuter stress and improving daily productivity.
- Lower emissions and better air quality: Minimises vehicle idling and optimises fuel consumption, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved urban air quality.
- Enhanced road safety: Minimises red-light violations and reduces accident rates through better signal compliance and smoother traffic flow.
- Operational efficiency: Enables real-time adaptability and centralised control, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving system reliability.
- Improved commuter experience: Ensures smoother, more predictable journeys, enhancing the overall quality of life for residents and visitors.
- Support for emergency services: Facilitates faster movement of ambulances and fire trucks through intelligent signal prioritisation.
- Public engagement and transparency: Incorporates citizen feedback and awareness campaigns to build trust and encourage responsible road behaviour.
Institutional support and collaboration
The success of the B-ATCS project is rooted in a strong foundation of multi-agency collaboration and institutional synergy, bringing together expertise from government bodies, research institutions and private sector partners. This collaborative framework ensured that the project was not only technologically sound but also administratively feasible and contextually relevant.
Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP)
- Lead agency responsible for overseeing the deployment and daily operations of the adaptive traffic system.
- Provided critical on-ground insights into traffic behaviour, enforcement challenges and junction-specific requirements.
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Technology partner and developer of the core CoSiCoSt platform.
- Provided technical support for system integration and calibration.
Arcadis IBI Group
- Solution design and systems integrator.
- Played a key role in system design and implementation of the Adaptive Traffic Signal Control System, ensuring global best practices were adapted to local conditions.
Infra Support Engineering Consultants Private Limited
- Project monitoring Unit for BTP.
- Handled the project management and supervision of implementation systems across 169 junctions for Bengaluru Traffic Police.
Government of Karnataka and KRDCL
- Provided policy-level support, funding and administrative facilitation.
- Ensured alignment with broader smart city and urban mobility initiatives.
This collaborative model ensured that B-ATCS was not just a technological upgrade, but a holistic urban mobility solution supported by institutional commitment, technical excellence and operational coordination.
Scalability and roadmap
- City-wide expansion: Designed to scale to over 400 additional intersections.
- AI and IoT integration: Predictive traffic modelling, IoT-based vehicle tracking, integration with weather and event data.
In sum
B-ATCS represents a transformative leap in urban traffic management, with a clear focus on traffic flow optimisation. By leveraging real-time data, AI and adaptive signal control, B-ATCS has significantly improved the efficiency of traffic movement across the city’s most congested corridors.
At its core, B-ATCS is designed to optimise traffic flow by dynamically adjusting signal timings based on actual traffic conditions, rather than relying on static schedules. This has led to smoother vehicle movement, reduced idle times and the creation of synchronised “green waves” along key routes, directly addressing the root causes of congestion.
The deployment of CoSiCoSt technology, developed by C-DAC, has been instrumental in achieving these outcomes. Tailored for India’s complex and non-lane-based traffic environment, CoSiCoSt enables intelligent coordination across intersections, ensuring that traffic is managed holistically rather than in isolation.
With 169 AI-enabled junctions now operational, B-ATCS has already demonstrated measurable benefits like reduced travel times, lower emissions, improved road safety, and enhanced commuter satisfaction. The system’s scalability and integration readiness further position it as a future-proof solution for smart urban mobility.
Supported by strong institutional collaboration and a citizen-centric approach, B-ATCS is not just a traffic management tool, it is a model for traffic flow optimisation that other cities can emulate. It exemplifies how data-driven governance and technological innovation can converge to create safer, more efficient and more sustainable urban environments.