The CCTV monitors at the Johannesburg Roads Agency keep a close watch on the city's roads

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Roads agency installs new traffic system In a bid to manage the city's traffic better, the Johannesburg Roads Agency has set aside R116-million to install an advanced traffic management system. October 10, 2006 By Lucky Sindane MOTORISTS should be very cautious when driving on Joburg's freeways – Big Brother is watching. Johannesburg Roads Agency officially launched the Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) on Monday, 9 October. An estimated R116-million has been set aside over the next financial year for the implementation of the project. Speaking at the launch, the City's mayoral committee member for transport, Rehana Moosajee, said it was about time motorists started driving responsibly. The mayoral committee member for transport, Rehana Moosajee "The CCTV [closed circuit television] cameras are not there to prosecute but to manage traffic, but if there is a need to do it we will – as we will be working with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department," Moosajee said. The aims of the ATMS are to inform the public about incidents in real time and, once the system is in full operation, to repair faulty controllers before peak hours. Raven Shabe, the roads agency spokesperson, said: "The primary purpose of the project it to use Intelligent Transportation Systems to assist the City in maximising the operational performance and reliability of all aspects of the road network with an emphasis on public transport through the modernisation of the current traffic management system …. This purpose will be achieved through the use of the Advanced Traffic Management Systems." ATMS are advanced systems and technologies used to improve the efficiency and operation of the existing surface transportation infrastructure to create safer conditions for travellers and improved journey times. Systems include traffic control, traffic enforcement, incident management, demand management, parking management and information management systems. Work now being undertaken by the roads agency includes: the installation of 700 overhead light-emitting diodes around the city; the roll-out of 160 controllers in February 2007 as part of the Remote Monitoring System; variable message signs that have been set up on the M1 and M2 highways; the installation of 13 CCTV cameras along the M1 highway and 62 CCTV cameras along the M2 highway; and the upgrading of the traffic signal system. Electronic vehicle identification readers at approximately three-kilometre intervals, web cams at the same positions, semi-dynamic road signs at decision points such as systems interchanges where expected travel times between an origin and destination will be displayed, and modems to provide a communication link between field devices and the traffic management centre are all part of the new system. "The CCTV cameras will be linked to our traffic management centre, which will be up and running in the next two weeks at the Midrand Fire Station," said the roads agency's operations manager of networks and mobility, Peter Filbey. "As the network is upgraded to incorporate the various advanced traffic management systems, there will be a need to upgrade the traffic management centre with new software, hardware and other resources." Operators at the centre will be able to monitor traffic and road conditions; to detect incidents by means of information received from field devices; to respond to calls from the public; to determine travel times on the road network; and to liaise directly with emergency services for the effective management of incidents and debriefing sessions with affected parties after an incident. "We will also be upgrading and integrating our traffic signal system, which will include replacing old controllers with new ones that will be linked to the control centre where changes to signal settings can be made remotely, including remote monitoring and fault detection," Filbey said. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za