Development of PCU Factors and Capacity Norms at Mid Blocks of Rural Highways in Visakhapatnam

In India mixed traffic conditions prevail on roads and highways, different vehicle classes have a wide variation of static and dynamic characteristics. Therefore mixed traffic flow characteristics are very much complex and difficult to estimate the traffic volume and capacity of highway facilities under mixed traffic flow, unless this non uniformity in static and dynamic characteristics of vehicles is to convert into a common standard vehicle unit called Passenger Car Unit (PCU). Passenger Car Units are developed to find relative effect of alternative modes travelling on the roads. Highway capacity is the maximum number of vehicles that can reasonably be expected to pass a section of road in unit time under prevailing roadway, traffic and control conditions; whereas, service-volume is the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated at a specified Level Of Service (LOS). The performance of roadway networks depends on capacity and volume of traffic in the net work. Capacity Norms for the highways are necessary for evaluating the deficiencies of the road network, to find out proposed changes in the existing network, designing new facilities by considering future travel demand and the current capacities etc.