Let’s Build a Traffic System
Only Ladders – No Snakes!
Jitendra Kaushik
When we were kids, we spent hours playing Snakes & Ladders.
A ladder lifted you forward in a moment.
A snake pulled you down without warning.
If we look closely, our city traffic works exactly the same way.
Some moments feel like ladders – when the road is clear and you glide through green lights.
And some moments feel like snakes – when you are stuck for no reason at the same intersection every single day.
My dream is simple:
👉 Can we build a traffic system that gives us only ladders… and removes the snakes altogether?
What are the “snakes” in real traffic?
These are not the cartoon snakes from the board game.
They are everyday frustrations we all face:
- Red lights that stay red even when the road is empty
- Long lines at junctions where nothing is actually moving
- Ambulances stuck in traffic, helpless
- Time, fuel, and patience being wasted
- In extreme cases, even a life being lost
Every commuter, in every city, has encountered at least one “traffic snake” on their daily route.
And what counts as a “ladder”?
A ladder is anything that makes the journey smoother, faster, and smarter:
- A green wave where you don’t have to stop at each signal
- Signals that adapt to actual traffic instead of fixed timers
- Priority paths for ambulances and fire trucks
- Simple, clear information: countdown timers, lane guidance, early warnings
A ladder means less stopping, less guessing, and more moving.
A system that builds ladders automatically
Most signals still run on Fixed cycles
as if traffic behaves the same all day. But everyone knows it doesn’t.So why should signals remain fixed?
Today’s technology finally gives us a better option:
- Smart cameras count real vehicles in real time
- The signal “thinks” and adjusts accordingly
- Busy approaches get more green time
- Empty lanes don’t waste everyone’s patience
The result?
Smoother flow, shorter queues, lower fuel consumption, and cleaner air.
In short – more ladders on the city’s traffic board.
The most important ladder: saving lives
For me, the most meaningful ladder is the one that helps an ambulance reach on time.
In an emergency, minutes matter.
Sometimes even seconds matter.
When an ambulance is stuck at a red light, that is the biggest snake of all.
AI-assisted systems can change this completely:
- They detect ambulances long before they arrive
- Signals along the route turn green automatically
- Other vehicles are paused safely
- The ambulance moves through without delay
It’s practical. It’s proven. Successfully demonstrated at IIT Hyderabad, tested by the Kerala IT mission, and currently running as a pilot project in Bangalore for the last 3 months.
And it saves lives !!!
Everyone is trying to reach 100 as fast as possible
Whether it’s:
- home to office,
- one part of the city to another,
- or an accident site to the hospital…
We’re all trying to reach our destination without falling down the snakes.
So the question is simple:
Why should we settle for a traffic system full of removal snakes,
when we now have the tools to build one filled with ladders?
Tell me your snakes – and your ladders
If you’re reading this, here’s a small thought experiment:
Think of one place in your city
where you always get stuck.
Now imagine what ladder could fix it:
- A green wave?
- Dynamic timing?
- Ambulance priority?
- Better lane discipline?
Share your idea in the comments.
Together, we can redesign our city’s traffic board
into a place where everyone climbs up – and no one gets pushed down.
Thank you for reading.
More “ladder-first” ideas are coming soon.
Jitendra Kaushik
