Long-range solution: Technology could untangle traffic
Each Filipino loses 300 hours due to traffic every year, translating to billions of pesos loss in terms of productivity. Hence, the government needs to come up with an immediate, long-lasting solution to cover everything from the public transport system, traffic and monitoring coordination, and road safety behavior.
Actually, it’s not a problem confined to the Philippines.
With more than 50 percent of the world’s population currently living in cities and close to 700 million people moving into urban areas within the next 10 years, tremendous stress is being placed on already aging public infrastructure.
Already, short and medium-term measures are being put in place to address Metro Manila’s traffic problem.
The recent reinstatement of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) to manage traffic flow along EDSA has shown promising results in its first week of implementation. However, long-term measures must be considered to address the challenges of traffic management.
Urban and traffic planners can study how smart cities around the world have configured their traffic management systems using Internet of Everything (IoE) and Big Data analytics.
These cities employ IoE and analytics to connect the Traffic Management System (traffic signals and traffic command centers) with a Geographic Information System (GIS) enabled digital road map and use real time analytics to manage traffic flow through busy thoroughfares.
The use of IP cameras, sensors, applications over a secure Wi-Fi network infrastructure around Metro Manila can help provide real-time traffic condition visibility for traffic management authorities.
Sensors could be spread out across EDSA, for instance, and can send information to a central server where traffic management authorities can tag heavily-congested sections, routing motorists into less congested side streets and improving traffic flow along Metro Manila’s artery roads.
Smart analytics, where data produced by smart-connected infrastructure are analyzed to gain insights on trends and behaviors, can be likewise used to manage intersections and accident-prone areas where traffic build-up usually originates.
The Smart Intersection Solution, developed by AGT International and Cisco utilizing its Data in Motion technology, uses edge analytics to aggregate data at intersections to support vulnerable road users, improve traffic flow, monitor air pollution and optimize traffic infrastructure management.
The Smart Intersection solution implements a number of IoT technologies at city intersections to provide intelligent services to citizens, car drivers and pedestrians alike around the city. This solution has already shown potential in various real-world applications, such as an implementation of Hamburg’s first Smart City pilot projects.
For cities and road users, benefits include more efficient traffic flow, less pollution, and improved road safety and congestion traffic conditions. For the transportation department, a Smartconnected traffic management system will help deliver automated incident detection and quicker responses, better management of thoroughfares due to better-informed operational decision making,
In addition to reducing traffic jams and making our roads safer, smart analytics can save lives.
It can guide an ambulance by getting real time data from sensors, traffic signals on the way to hospital and GIS mapping of all roads leading to hospital. A message is sent to the ambulance display panel in front of the driver informing him which road to take. All signals towards hospital are asked to be on a particular color (red or green) prompting the ambulance to pass through.
Smart analytics can also be used to prevent and catch crime, by sending information from CCTV, sensors on the road, criminal database and information to the police command center.
In Singapore, SURF@NCS is leading the way with their Solutions for Urbanised Future initiative. Their Intelligent Command & Control Platform is designed to solve challenges in situations involving multiple agencies.
The proprietary platform, established by Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) was a demonstration that the ISC platform helped to improve situational awareness and operational efficiency.