Ministry looking at new technology to provide innovative solutions on traffic management

KUCHING: The Ministry of Works is banking on new technology such as the Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) to provide innovative solutions and services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management.

Its minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this advanced application will enable multiple users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and ‘smarter’ use of transport networks.

“With traffic congestion as our main concern especially in major cities, the realisation of ITS in Malaysia in journey planning, disseminating real-time traffic conditions, alternative route suggestions and parking space information is crucial for our citizens to be more efficient and productive,” he said in his keynote address during the second session of the 4th Sarawak Business & Investment Summit (SBIS) at a leading hotel here yesterday.

He also pointed out that another initiative his ministry was looking into would be the implementation of the Weigh-in-Motions ( WiM) technology at federal roads and highways to detect, measure and control rampant overloading of vehicles on the roads.

“This makes the weighing process more efficient and in the case of commercial vehicles, allows for trucks under the weight limit to bypass static scales for inspection.”

With the WiM system in place, he said the government will be able to improve the monitoring system of overloaded vehicles which will in turn increase the safety and security levels of road users.

“WiM when incorporated in tandem with ITS is also expected, in 10 years, to reduce the maintenance and management cost of roads throughout Malaysia due to a more comprehensive monitoring and enforcement system, which is expected to reduce damage to our roads.”

Meanwhile, Fadillah also noted that under the umbrella of Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP), the Ministry of Works through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) was in the process of developing a Building Information Modelling ( BIM) Library, which is a digital warehouse of Pre-Approved Plans ( PAPs) of 3D design of buildings and integration of industrialised building system (IBS) components for construction materials.

“With the BIM library, we expect to standardise all designs by consultants from all disciplines,” he said, adding that this new initiative will create a new era of business opportunities for contractors, materials suppliers as well as facilities management companies.

The Ministry of Works and CIDB are proactively collaborating with other relevant agencies in enhancing the capacities and capabilities of contractors, professionals and skilled workers with the hope that by 2020, there will be 5,000 professionals from various disciplines adopting IBS and BIM in their projects.

CIDB is also targeting to train 37,500 contractors under the Continuous Contractor Development Programme to be facilities management and IBS contractors.