The Russian Minister of transport Igor Levitin has got acquainted with adaptive automated traffic control system that is being currently implemented in Kazan.

Head of the Russian transport ministry was accompanied by the Tatarstan PM Ildar Khalikov. Switching of traffic lights is now controlled by the second-generation automated system in Kazan. Switching modes are changed in accordance with the fixed schedule.

An adaptive system which enables switching of traffic lights due to the current traffic situation is being now adopted in the Tatarstan capital to carry out the process of regulation more efficiently.

The system operation will be based on data received from vehicle detectors. All necessary calculations will be fulfilled on a real-time basis.

The system was developed by an Austrian company Swarco AG. According to the project the adaptive system is meant to involve 97 traffic light objects and 16 junctions. The total cost of works and equipment is 983 mln roubles.

For the moment 15 crossings in Karl Marx and Gorky streets are provided with communication systems, vehicle detectors and cameras. Operation of the system was today demonstrated to the Head of RF ministry of transport in these streets. The admission capacity of streets has already increased by 21 %, and the average speed of traffic flow - by 18 %. The designers say that efficiency of the system will increase when it is used extensively.

The Head of RF transport ministry also urged designers to arrange extensive interaction between the system and State traffic safety inspectorate.

In general, Igor Levitin believes that the adaptive automated traffic control system is an efficient way of increasing the admission capacity on roads and controlling traffic jams.