IIT-Kharagpur seems to be the last resort for preparing a traffic blueprint for the city.

Following failed attempts to study management on roads in Bhubaneswar and Indore last year, as the police headquarters did not clear the proposal, the traffic department came up with a possibility to appoint a consultant. Even the name of College of Traffic Management, Faridabad, as a possible consultant was doing the rounds last December. However, nothing fruitful emerged then.

But superintendent of police (traffic) Chandrika Prasad sounded serious even as signals at busy intersections remain defunct for years.

“There is a course in transport engineering at IIT-Kharagpur. We have learnt that it deals with several aspects of traffic and transport management, and engineering. Barring the entire traffic management system, we want to put the signals on the right track on a priority basis. Regarding this, we do not want to repeat the same mistakes made earlier that had cost us dear. It is only after a proper research that a consultant, who will be studying traffic system in Patna, will be selected and the job of coming out with a feasibility report, will be deputed. At present, we are gathering details about the course at IIT,” he said.

IIT-Kharagpur offers a two-year MTech in transportation engineering, which is divided into four semesters.

In July last year, the Patna police were all set to visit Bhubaneswar to study signalling system there and then appoint a consultant for installing the same back home. With permission for the same not been given by the state police headquarters, traffic police officers then zeroed in on Indore stating that like Bhubaneswar, the traffic system in the Madhya Pradesh city was quite similar to that of Patna. As no further step was taken and in December last year, the authorities stated that they were looking at the possibility of appointing a consultant from College of Traffic Management.

“We admit a lot of places have been studied regarding appointment of just a consultant. According to the plan, the selected consultant will have to stay in Patna for two weeks and study the traffic system here. Based on it, a report will be made and submitted to the state government upon which decisions will be taken. In 2005, the government had spent a huge amount to set up digital signals at 17 locations in Patna but all got defunct within months. Extra care is being taken to avoid such mistakes. The authorities, on the basis of the consultant’s report, will decide whether electronic signals are okay for Patna or whether the city needs manual signals. We need to be sure before finalising any consultant first,” another traffic police officer said.

Meanwhile, around 40 officers posted in the Police Information Room (PIR) will help their traffic counterparts in coordinating vehicular movements, Prasad said. “At present, the strength of the Patna traffic police rests at around 650 personnel, including officers, which is far less than required. The men at the PIR have been roped in to help the traffic police in clearing roads in case of VIP movements and traffic coordination,” Prasad added.