New technology offers solution to Gauteng road congestion

Pilot project to begin on Ben Schoeman highway ANNA COX
ALLEVIATION OF congestion is in sight for many frustrated Gauteng motorists who waste hours on the province’s clogged freeways every day. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is to start a pilot project within the next two months on all the province’s national roads, but focusing on the Ben Schoeman, involving Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). This involves new technology using, amongst others, webcams, traffic monitoring devices and lit signs alerting motorists to pre-trip conditions such as accidents, weather and break-downs, giving them information about time delays and alternative routes. Other technology that will be used will be fibre-optic communications between the field devices and the network management centre; CCTV cameras; and inductive loops which are insulated wires buried in the roadway creating a magnetic field which are connected to a detector unit and ramp metering. Head of SANRAL, Nazir Alli, said the answer to congestion was not always building more roads. “Better road management can just as effectively reduce congestion,” he said.