Reference

Types of traffic survey a highway DPR asks for

MoRTH’s standard terms of reference for a detailed project report list seven traffic surveys, each with a minimum number of stations, and add a truck-terminal study worked from their results. “All traffic surveys and studies will be completed in feasibility studies.” Here is each one: what it is for, how it is run, what it yields, and which of them video can do.

Clause 4.9.1 · Surveys and minimum survey stations
Traffic surveys in MoRTH’s DPR terms of reference and their minimum number of survey stations
SurveyStations
Classified Traffic Volume Count3
Origin-Destination and Commodity Movement CharacteristicsMinimum 2
Axle Loading Characteristics2
Intersection Volume CountAll Major Intersections
Speed-Delay CharacteristicsProject Road Section
Pedestrian/animal cross traffic countAll major inhabitations along the highway
Turning movement surveysFor all major intersections
The numbers are “indicative only for each road stretch under a package”; the consultant proposes the stations at inception and agrees the method with the Agency before surveying.

One at a time

What each survey is for, and what it yields

Clause numbers are the terms of reference’s, so each line can be checked against the document. Quoted phrases are its own words.

Clause 4.9.2

Classified traffic volume count

For
Volume by vehicle type at each station, carried to annual average daily traffic.
Stations
3
How
7 days, continuous, direction-wise.
Yields
Hourly and daily variations; weekly average daily traffic by vehicle type; AADT “by applying seasonal factors”.

“Consultant shall make use of traffic survey done by Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) using ATCC systems. However in isolated locations where there are site constraints, manual counting can be done. If required, especially in cases where a particular stretch is not covered by IHMCL, DPR consultant should carry out classified traffic volume count survey using ATCC systems or latest modern technologies.”

Shipped: Playcraft ATCC. Where the consultant counts, Playcraft ATCC counts recorded video into the classified 15-minute format. Every window in the count file points to the stretch of video it came from, so a disputed window can be re-checked from the recording. What the count has to contain is in the classified volume count note, and carrying it to AADT in the AADT note.

Clause 4.9.3

Origin–destination and commodity movement

For
“Essentially required around congested towns to delineate through traffic”, and to show whether bypasses are needed.
Stations
Minimum 2
How
1 day (24 hours, both directions); roadside interviews on a random sample of all four-wheeled vehicles, normally at the count stations.
Yields
Trip matrices by vehicle type; truck weights by commodity; lead and load; desire line diagrams.

Not something we do. The terms of reference ask for roadside interviews. A camera at one section cannot say where a trip began or what a truck carries.

Clause 4.9.5

Axle loading

For
Vehicle damage factors for pavement design.
Stations
2
How
Trucks only, empty and loaded, both directions, random sample, for 2 normal days of 24 hours, using “axle load pads or other sophisticated instruments”; avoid bridges with load restrictions.
Yields
VDF per truck type (the national average where the calculated VDF is lower); gross vehicle weight and single axle load distributions.

Not something we do. A camera sees axles, not the load on them. This needs pads or weighing instruments.

Clause 4.9.4

Intersection volume and turning movement

For
“Estimation of peak hour traffic for the design of major and minor intersections”, with composition and direction of movement.
Stations
All major intersections
How
As per IRC:SP:41-1994; location and duration agreed with the Agency.
Yields
The case for underpasses, fly-overs, interchanges and grade-separated intersections.

Built on demand. Turning-movement counts from junction video are built on demand, not a shipped deliverable.

Clause 4.9.6

Speed–delay

For
Sections with traffic flow problems and congestion.
Stations
Project road section
How
Field studies “such as moving car survey to determine running speed and journey speed”.
Yields
Measures to separate local traffic: bypasses, under-passes, fly-overs, interchanges, service roads.

Not something we do. Running and journey speed come from travelling the road. A fixed camera sees one section; headway from the crossing log, and spot speed from a second line at a surveyed distance, are built on demand.

Clause 4.9.7

Pedestrian and animal cross traffic

For
Whether a viaduct for pedestrians or animals is needed for safety.
Stations
All major inhabitations along the highway
How
Sites chosen with local consultation; at minimum at every junction being replaced by a grade separator.
Yields
The case for pedestrian and animal crossings.

Not something we do. None of our vehicle classes counts pedestrians or animals.

Clause 4.9.8

Truck terminal

For
Present and future need for truck terminals along the route.
How
An analysis of the O-D, speed-delay and other surveys, not a separate count.
Yields
Truck terminal locations.

An analysis, not a field survey. Worked from the O-D and speed-delay results.

What gets handed over

Every survey point is recorded, with its method

A 2026 circular added a data-products table to the same terms of reference. For traffic it asks for a list of every survey point and, for each survey, where, when and how it was taken, in CSV or ODF, with .xlsx optional.

Traffic rows of the data-products table in circular 130.265
RowContents required
1.1 List of traffic survey pointsPoint no., coordinates, location, chainage, lanes or junction type, type of survey, date, length of survey, commentary, equipment or technique used, link to the output
1.2 Classified traffic volume countRaw data in the IHMCL traffic survey data format; processed and corrected with AADT as CSV or ODF
1.3 O-D, turning movement, axle load and other surveysSurvey point, location, coordinates, chainage, date, time, period of survey and the technique or equipment used, with the data itself

When a resurvey disagrees

A count that cannot be reproduced costs the consultant

Another 2026 circular sets penalties for inaccurate survey work, as a share of the additional performance bank guarantee. Two of them are traffic surveys:

  • “Traffic data found to be varying by more than 25% on resurvey at a later date, unless there are justifiable reasons.” 10% of the APBG.
  • “Axle load data found to be varying by more than 25% on resurvey at a later date, unless there are justifiable reasons.” 10% of the APBG.

For a video count the recording is the evidence. The verification index that ships with every Playcraft ATCC run gives, for each 15-minute window, the clock time, the position in the video and the up and down totals, so a window that a resurvey disputes can be checked against the frames it was counted from.

Where video fits

One survey shipped, one built on demand, the rest not ours

We sell video counting, so here is the short version: the classified count is what Playcraft ATCC does; junction turning movements are built on demand; roadside interviews, axle weighing, moving-car runs and pedestrian crossing counts are not something we offer.

Each traffic survey and where Playcraft stands
SurveyPlaycraft
Classified traffic volume countShipped: Playcraft ATCC
Origin–destination and commodity movementNot something we do
Axle loadingNot something we do
Intersection volume and turning movementBuilt on demand
Speed–delayNot something we do
Pedestrian and animal cross trafficNot something we do
Truck terminalAn analysis, not a field survey

Sources

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