Chennai: Traffic congestion has become a daily challenge on Chennai's major roads, such as GST Road, Poonamallee Highway, and Porur Highway, where vehicles move at a snail's pace, especially during rainy days when waterlogged roads worsen delays.

Experts from the transport department, alongside IIT Madras professors, suggest that an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), combined with enhanced public transport, is essential to tackle the city's congestion effectively.

Currently, the number of vehicles in Tamil Nadu rises by approximately 10 percent each year, while road development has not kept pace.

Experts argue that simply expanding roads and constructing flyovers will not provide long-term relief. Instead, introducing seamless public transport and implementing an ITS could alleviate congestion by 20 percent or more.

To reduce traffic on key routes, IIT professors recommend expanding the fleet of city buses to around 7,000 and creating dedicated lanes with improved signal coordination. Additionally, integrated services should connect railway, metro, and bus stations with nearby neighborhoods to encourage public transport use.

Drawing inspiration from international ITS implementations, professors propose digital traffic screens that relay real-time congestion data across Chennai.

This system, they estimate, could reduce congestion by up to 3 percent, offering an incremental but impactful solution to the city's traffic challenges.