New sheriff on the N3
Camera network monitors N2, N3
KZN’s advanced network of freeway cameras has been instrumental in nabbing criminals making their getaways.
With 147 CCTV cameras covering the main sections of the province’s freeway, drivers are being watched over by what’s been referred to as the “Big Brother” system.
Peru Pillay, of the i-traffic department, which is run by Sanral, said: “We can track vehicles via cameras and at toll plazas.
“Using this information, we can alert law-enforcement members. Evidence has been successfully used in prosecutions,” he said.
The freeway management system also comprises 26 variable message sign units and 57 radar vehicle detection units, all linked to a traffic management centre (TMC) at the Sanral offices in Pietermaritzburg.
While the information gleaned from the set-up was useful in sometimes catching criminals, drivers benefited from the advance warnings issued on the message units.
“A freeway can have six lanes, but a single incident such as a breakdown or collision can have a major impact on the flow of traffic in both directions,” said Nkabinde Dumisani, the newly appointed eastern regional manager at Sanral.
The system relays real-time information to alert motorists about incidents that are unsafe and most likely to cause build-up of traffic and subsequent delays.
Nkabinde said the system was first implemented on strategic road sections in KZN during 2009, and today covered about 120km of the busiest sections of the N2 and N3 – from the Prospecton interchange on the N2, northward to the Watson Highway interchange, and on the N3 from the Candella Road bridge to Market Road. Further expansions are in the process from Market Road to the Cedara Interchange, which includes the high accident zone at Town Hill.
“The many benefits to the road user on such a managed network include improved congestion management, faster detection, verification and response to road incidents such as accidents, road obstructions and road hazards; and provision of real-time traveller information to road users,” said Nkabinde.
“These benefits directly result in safer roads, savings in travel times and fuel costs, as well as contributing to a cleaner environment.”
It takes the officials at the management centre an average of 76 seconds to detect incidents on the roads.
“The management centre works closely with, and provides real-time traffic and accident information to, the various authorities involved in road incident management, such as police and emergency services,” he said.
“The centre also operates on a 24/7 basis and has 23 staff involved in road network monitoring and incident management. It deals with an average of 800 traffic-related incidents every month,” he said.
The freeway sections around the EB Cloete systems interchange (Spaghetti Junction) and the Umgeni interchange on the N2 record the highest number of traffic incidents.