Netherlands PM Dick Schoof to visit Traffic Management Centre in Bengaluru on Friday to review ASTraM

Netherlands PM Dick Schoof visits Bengaluru to review ASTraM, an AI-driven traffic management system in collaboration with Dutch firm Arcadis.

Bengaluru’s traffic is globally known for its notoriety. However, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) will have a prominent visitor for another reason: for successfully integrating technology into managing the city’s traffic.

Dick Schoof, Prime Minister of Netherlands, is set to visit the BTP’s Traffic Management Centre (TMC) on Friday to review the Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Transformation Management (ASTraM), a traffic department source confirmed to The Hindu.

ASTraM, a tech-driven approach to analysing and managing Bengaluru city traffic, has been developed in collaboration with the Dutch company Arcadis. Mr. Schoof is keen to learn about the strides made by a Dutch company in a city where traffic management is a herculean task, sources said.

The system uses real-time data and curated strategies to address congestion.

Recently, the Dubai Police visited the command centre and TMC to study the system and its operations. The ASTraM is also on the radar of, and has been acclaimed by, other cities in India.

A senior traffic officer revealed that Hyderabad recently sought the technology and implemented a small portion of ASTraM in its policing. In addition, the Delhi Police also visited the TMC to learn about the technological integration into the traffic system. They are now searching for a vendor to replicate certain components of the ASTraM, the source said.