IRC 9-1972

TRAFFIC CENSUSON

NON-URBAN ROADS

(First Revision)

THE INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS1989

IRC 9-1972

TRAFFIC CENSUS

ON

NON-URBAN ROADS

(First Revision)

Publishedby

THE INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS

JamnagarHouse,ShabjabanRoad,

New Delhi-il1989

Price Rs.*1~24(plus Postage & Packing)

IRC: 9—1972

First published: 1960First Revision September 1 972Reprinted: May, 1 989

(Rights of Publication and of Translation are reserved)

Printed at M/s Sagar Printer & Publishers, New Delhi(1000 Copies)

IRC : 9-1972

TRAFFIC CENSUSONNON-URBAN ROADS

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Periodic traffic censusare a valuablesourceof basic datafor highwayplanning. As such,these shouldbe aregular featureinall highwaydepartments.

This Standard was originally publishedin 1960. The revisedStandard was consideredand approved by the SpecificationsandStandardsCommitteein their meeting heldon the 18th and 19thNovember, 1971 and by the ExecutiveCommittee in their meetingheldon the 26th and 27th April, 1972. Later, it was approvedforpublication as the flnalised Standard by the Councilat their 78thmeetingheldat Nainital on the 10th July, 1972.

2. SCOPE

2.1. It is desirable thattraffic censusoperationsbe carriedoutin a uniform mannerthroughoutthe country.

2.2 The repetition of censusoperations,on the scale recom-mendedhere, shouldnormally be limited to important trunk routeslike the National Highways, State Highways and Major DistrictRoads.

3. SELECTIONOF CENSUSPOINTS3.1, Judiciouslocationof traffic countstationsis crucialto the

successof a censusprogramme. For trunk routesserving inter-citytraffic, it is relevantthat the~censussites shouldbe fixed well awayfrom all urbaniseddevelopmentsandvillages. In particular, siteswithin zone of influenceof townswheretheremaybe a regularflowof commutertraffic mustbe avoided. If needbe, additionalstationscould be set up for thesezones.

3.2. Every roadshouldbe divided into convenient sections,eachcarryingapproximatelysimilar traffic betweenpointsof substan-tial traffic change. Countstations shouldbe set up for eachsection.The limits of the sections could generally be the important townsalong the road or major roadsintersecting or taking off from •thehighwayin question.

1

IRC : 9-1972

3.3. Since divisionof the highwayinto sectionsand fixation ofcensuspointsfor them are decisionsof lasting significance, theseshouldbe takenat a seniorlevel in eachhighway departmentafterconsideringthe traffic patternalongthe entire route.

3.4 Every subsequentcensus should be takenat the samelocations. New stationscould, of course, be added as and whenneeded.

4. FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF CENSUS

4.1. Traffic shouldbe countedateachpointat leasttwiceeveryyear. One countshould betakenduring the peakseasonof harvest-ing andmarketingandthe otherduring the lean season. Eachtimethe countshould be madefor a full week spreadover 7 consecutivedays and24 hoursof eachday.

4.2. Traffic census shouldnot generallyencompassabnormalconditionsof traffic like a fair or exhibition. In suchcases,the countin the areashouldbepostponedby a few daystilt normalcyreturns.

5. RECORDING OF DATA

5.1. For the purposeof counts,a day could bedivided intothreeshifts of 8 hours eachandseparateenumeratorswith a super-visor assignedfor eachshift. Enumeratorsshould beliterate personswith preferably middle or matriculation level qualification. It maybe worth-while to specially train supervisorsto go round from onecensuspoint to the nextandinitiate the otherstaffnew to this kindof work.

5.2. Recordingshouldbe done for eachdirection of travel sepa-rately. For this it will be necessaryto dIvide staff for every shiftinto two parties.

,.3. A field datasheetform for the manualrecordingof hourlyflows is given in PlateI. Beforestartof enumeration,it should beensuredby the supervisorsthat the informationIn the form atthe tøpis duly filled in by theenumerators.

5.4. In each hourlycolumn, the traffic should be recordedbymakingtally marksin the five-dash system(vertical strokesfor thefirst four vehicles,followed by an oblique strokefor the fifth vehiclesoas to depicta totalof five). Hourly totalsshouldbe madeat theendof theshift.

2

IRC 9-1972

6. COMPiLATION OF DATA

6.1. A form for daily’ traffic summary is shown at Plate H.Information in this sheetshould be compiled from the field datasheets. The highestpeakhour traffic in the dayfor fastas well asslow vehicles may be highlighted in the summarysheetsby drawinga firm line in red aroundthe figuresin the appropriatecolumn.

6.2. The information collectedin the daily summary sheetsshould be transferredto the weekly traffic summary form shownatPlateIII. The average daily traffic for theweek should then bedeterminedand indicatedin the spaceprovidedfor that in the form.

6.3. Thedaily andweekly traffic summariesshouldbe preparedin quadruplicateso that onecopy could be kept by the ExecutiveEngineer inchargeof maintenanceof the roadandthe other copiessentto the planningdivision at the headquartersoffice which in turnwould remit thisinformationto the otheragenciesconcerned,e.g.,theRoadsWing of the Ministry of ShippingandTransportin the caseofNational Highways. The field data sheetsshouldbe preservedaspermanentrecordfor at least five years.

6.4. An index mapindicating the location of the censussiteshouldbe attachedto the traffic summarysheets.

3

IRC 94972PLATE1

TRAFFIC CEt4SUSPIcLD D~TASHEET

DP~TE- ~.t4D DI.~( O~WZ1~(. ~ ~kOAD~

I~RECTIOHo~i~.cric~~_ FROM 10 LL~RP~GLLE~A~ -ROUTE NO. (~F ~

D~r~T

OFHOUR ~W~~4ICLE~O~COUNT ‘‘.,.~,,,,

C~R5, JEEPS, VANS‘THR!.E WHEELERS ETC. BUsc~S 1’RUCI~S

~#LOTORCYCLESAND SCOOTERS

ANIMAL DRAWNVEHICLES

CYCLES OTHERS(Spec~) R E.MA~RI(S,

INCLUOtN6 WEATHER CDNDflIOI~

t 2 3 4 S 5 7 5 9

FROM I4RS~.TO HRS

HOURLY ‘TOTAt..

FROM HR5~TO I4R~

HOURLY ~O1M~

FROM HR~

MRS

HOURLY TOTAL

FROM HR$~

‘TO HRS

.

HOU~L’~TOTAt--

‘

--...

NOTEZ*-1. RECORD TR*.FFIC VOLU$4E IN ~O4W.iNS Z~O8 BY MAKING TALULS III ‘EKE. FORM or vf.R’RCM. ~tRORE$FOR FIRST FOUR VEHICLES

ASID DRMNIHG NI OOt.~UIB’TROi(.E FOR EVERY 5TH AS SIQNN WI’TIUN BRW~KE.TSQ~II).

2. SGML ROADS V.ARR~( APPREC1MU. VOLUME OF OThER TRAFFIC LIKE V(CLE. RIUI5M~AS.RECORD THE VOLUMEOF SUCH VEHICLE.S IN COLUMN 8 AFTER SPECIFYING THE VEHICLE TYPE $M~.AND ~IONATURL O~VW$~.RJITO*

Pc THE HOUR OF COUNT SHOULD & ENTERED 8EF’QRE. THE START OF ~NUMERA1’IQN.PM HOURS ~ DATE

SHOULD BE RECORDED AFTER ADDING 12 TO THE ACTUAL HOUR, FOR EXAMPLE 2PM SHOULD NAME AND BIGNbtURLOc SUPERVISORBE RECORDED AS I4~OOHRS

~t IF FELT NECESSARY ØY HIGHWAY ~THORITY, THIS COLUMN COULD BE SUB- DIVIDED INTO TWO FOR RECORDING THEVOI.UME OF “PNEUMATIC’- TYPED AND “IRON— TYPED” VEHICLE5 SEPARATELY. -

5

TRAFFIC CENSUS

IRC 9 1U72

PLATE I!

R~ CL~SW~,M~fl.— — —_______

NlL0I~tTRML/MILEAGE ____________

ROUTE, NO. (IFA~4Y’) —

STATE

DOWN TOTALCDL. %~

St to

17 18 19 20 21

* ENT*~D~ AIlO DRf 0~

NAME AND $I0~TuRL OFSUPERVISOR wiTh DATE

~Owfl ~

~MLYTRF1C.SUMMP~L___________‘TO -~—---- __________ ~RS ON _____________

~IREC’TIO!c rw TRWFiC~ FRO~I_________ TO (up)

FROM TO ~CARE. JEEPs. VMI~,

.~ThREE WHLLLEP.S EITE.

FAST VEJ4%C

Up DOWN

I

up

0000 - 0700

‘rP K ~‘ MOTOR CYCLES~ I AMD ~tOO’TLR..S

3

DOWNS ~,PUP

B4

DOWN

TOTAL A57

JR 1DO~VtH~CLE~

UPCOL.1~Sc It.f ~ ~ 10 11 12

up

I TOTAL SLOW

UP

14

DO’~4N

15

UP

10

REMAR~S

I~

— —~—~—-———‘,- ~—~-1.— ~—~- —~------— ~—.---——---~ .070* — 0600 1

~-

00*0 — 0~D0

::~:1100 — 42.00

12.00 IUO

1400

1400 — 1500

1500 - 1$0*

1600 - 1700

1700 1*00 .

1100 — 1*04

1*00 — 2000

1*00 2100

2100 - 2t00

2200—*100

~—-—-—.,-—— ..—~—flO0~t400

0*00 0400

0100_ *200

02oO_0~0O

0300_!400,.,,,

040* — 05*0

‘——--‘---——‘--4--————-

0500 — 010*

TOTAL

10’TM. UP * DOWI.FOR flNIELL 1TPI

1

7

Pt.ML)~

IRC; 9-1972

r TRAFFIC CENSUSFROM . TO ,~ WEEKLY IRAPPIC. SUMNARY ROAD C.LASSWICE’TION

IOATL) (DATE)DETh.ILS 1W CENSUS PQIH’r~_.~___.~ HILOULTRAGE/MILEME-. .~.

ROUTE NO. (IF AWY’)~-DISTRiCT STATE

—P L RIO 0 FAST VEHICLERCARS,JLEPS,VANS, BUSES TRUCKS MOTOR CYCLES TOTALiNREI WHEELERS 5~5.C0OTLflS (COL~TO5’~

SLOW VU4ICLLS

ANIMAL DRAWN CYCLES OTHERS TOTALVEHICLES (SPECIFY) (cot.. 10 TO 12.)

REMARKS

DATE HOUR DATE HOUR

I 1 3 4 5 6 7 0 9 10 Ii 12. 13 14

TOlAL FOR THE. WEEK . .

PWERA6L DAILY TRAFFICFOR TWE WILt’

MANS. AIiO UG$MU~ OF

aUPIRV~GMW~

9

LIST OF INDIAN ROADS CONGRESSCODES& STANDARDS

PRICEpercopy

(Postage&packing

chargesextra)Rs P.

Type Designs for Highway Milestones (FirstReprint).

Route Marker Signs for National Highways (inMetric Units) (First Revision).

Dimensions and Weights of Road-DesignVehicles(First Reprint).

TypeDesignsfor Furlongand BoundaryStones.StandardSpecificationsandCode of Practicefor

Road Bridges SectionI—GeneralFeaturesofDesign(in Metric Units) (FourthRevision).

StandardSpecifications andCode of Practicefor Road Bridges SectionlI—Loads andStressesin Metric Units (SecondRevision)

RecommendedPracticeforNumbering Bridgesand Culverts(First Revision).

Type Designs for Highway Kilometre Stones(First Revision).

Traffic Censuson Non-UrbanRoads.Recommended Practice for Borrowpits for

Road Embankments Constructedby ManualOperation(First Reprint).

RecommendedPractice for the Design andLayoutof CycleTracks(First Reprint).

RecommendedPracticefor LocationandLayoutof Roadside Motor-FuelFilling-Cum-ServiceStations(First Revision).

Recommended Practice for Location andLayout of Roadside Motor-Fuel FillingStations(First Revision).

Recommended Practice for 2 Cm ThickBitumenand TarCarpets(First Revision).

Standard Specifications and Code of Practicefor Construction of ConcreteRoads (FirstRevision).

Tentative Specification for Priming of BaseCoursewith BituminousPrimers.

TentativeSpecificationfor SingleCoat Bitumi-nous SurfaceDressing.

Design Criteria for PrestressedConcreteRoad Bridges (Post-Tensioned Concrete)(First Reprint).

StandardSpecificationsandCodeof PracticeforWater Bound Macadam andSurface TreatedWater Bound Macadam(First Reprint),

RecommendedPractice for BituminousPenetra-tion Macadam (FullGrout).

1. IRC: 1—1953

2. IRC:

3. IRC:

4. IRC:5. IRC:

2—1968

3—1954

4—19555—1970

6. IRC: 6—1966

7. 1RC~7—1971

8. IRC: 8—1969

9. IRC; 9—197210. lRC~10—1961

Ii. IRC: 11—1962

12. IRC: 12—1967

13. IRC: 13—1967

14. IRC: 14—1970

15. IRC: 15—1970

16. IRC: 16—1965

17. IRC: 17—1965

18. IRC: 18—1965

19. IRC: 19—1966

100

2 50

100100

350

400

200

2 50

300

100

200

200

200

250

500

1 50

1 50

250

20020. 1RC: 20—1966

150

21. IRC: 21—1972

22. IRC: 22—1966

23. IRC: 23—1966

24. IRC: 24—1967

IRC: 25—1967

1RC: 26—1967

IRC: 27—1967IRC: 28—1967

29. IRC: 29—1968

30. IRC: 30—1968

31. IRC: 31—1969

32. IRC: 32—1969

33, IRC: 33—1969

34. IRC: 34—1970

35. IRC: 35—1970

36. IRC~36—1970

37. IRC: 37—1970

38. IRC: 38—197039. IRC: 39—197040. IRC: 40—1970

41. IRC: 41—1972

200

200

2 50

200

200

2 50

500

0050

0000

25.

26.27.

28.

StandardSpecificationsand Code of Practicefor Road Bridges—Section III CementConcrete(PlainandReinforced),(FirstRevision).5 00

StandardSpecificationsnndCodeof PracticeforRoad Bridges—SectionVI CompositeCons-truction for Road Culverts and MediumSpanBridges (First Reprint). 3 00

Tentative Specification for Two CoatBituminotis SurfaceDressing. I 50

StandardSpecifications andCodeof PracticeforRoadBridges—SectionV SteelRoadBridges. 6 00

Type Designs for Boundary Stones(in MetricUnits). 2 00

TypeDesignfor 200-MetreStones. 2 00Tentative Specification for Bituminous Maca-

damBase& Binder Course. 2 00TentativeSpecificationfor the Constructionof

Stabilized Soil Roadswith SoftAggregateinAreasof ModerateandHigh Rainfall. 2 00

Tentative Specification for 4 Cm (14 in.)AsphalticConcreteSurface Course.

Standard Letters and Numeralsof DifferentHeights for Useon HighwaySigns (in MetricUnits).

RouteMarkerSigns for StateRoutes(in MetricUnits).

Standardfor Vertical andHorizontalClearancesof OverheadElectricPowerandTelecommuni-cation Lines as Relatedto Roads(in MetricUnits).

StandardProcedurefor Evaluation and Con-dition Surveysof StabitisedSoil Roads.

Recommendationsfor Road Construction inWaterloggedAreas,

Code of Practicefor Road Markings (withPaints).

RecommendedPracticefor the ConstructionofEarthEmbankmentsfor RoadWorks, 4

Guidelinesfor theDesignof flexible Pavements, 3Design Tables for Horizontal Curves for

Highways. 20Standardsfor Road-RailLevelCrossings. 3StandardSpecificationsand Cede of Practice

for Road Bridges-Section IV (Brick, Stoneand Block Masonry).

Type Designsfor CheckBarriers,42. 1RC: 42—1972Proformafor recordof Test Values of Locally

AvailablePavementConstructionMaterials43. IRC: 43—1972RecommendedPracticefor Tools Equipment

andAppliancesfor Concrete iavementCon-struction.

44. IRC: 44—1972TentatIveGuidelinesfor Cement Concrete MixDesignfor RoadPavements(for non-air ent-rainedand continuouslygradedconcrete).

3 50300

3 00

500

250