244 Transport
Electronic payment facilities are now available at all vehicle examination centres, providing additional convenience for users. Vehicle Appointment Status Display Systems have been installed at the New Kowloon Bay Vehicle Examination Centre and Kowloon Bay Vehicle Examination Centre and at the To Kwa Wan Vehicle Examination Centre, informing people of available booking dates. The booking information is also available on the Internet.
Application of Technology
Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are installed at heavy traffic spots to monitor conditions at these places so that drivers can avoid them if possible. At present, there are 168 cameras installed in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po and North District. In mid-2006, the Transport Department upgraded its Hong Kong Island CCTV system by replacing it with a digital CCTV system, the first in Hong Kong. The new system improves monitoring and reduces operating cost over the long term.
There are also 97 cameras operating on major highways such as Tuen Mun Road, West Kowloon Highway, North Lantau Highway, San Tin Highway, Yuen Long Highway, Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway, Tolo Highway, Fanling Highway and roads leading to the boundary crossings.
The CCTV systems' coverage will be extended further to cover Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. The project is expected to be completed in October 2008.
To further enhance the work on traffic surveillance and traffic information dissemination, the Transport Department is planning to install CCTV cameras in the urban and New Territories areas. This CCTV Project will involve the provision of new CCTV cameras in the Tseung Kwan O area, along Strategic Road Network and major roads; and renewal of existing obsolete CCTV cameras in Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin. In addition, the CCTV Project will include installation of new cameras for traffic information dissemination to the public. Work on this project will start in early 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Images captured by CCTV cameras at 43 strategic locations were first shown to the public on the Internet in 1999. This was well received, prompting the Transport Department to expand the service to cover 120 locations. In early 2007, the Transport Department and mobile network operators joined forces to capture images which people can view on their mobile phones as well.
The Transport Department went the extra mile in 2006 by setting up a mobile CCTV system that can relay images to traffic control centres for taking swift action to reduce traffic disruption.
The Transport Department also operates a computerised Area Traffic Control (ATC) system that is connected to the traffic signalling system in a district, enabling better control of changing conditions on the road. ATC systems are now in operation in the urban areas and in the new towns at Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, Sha Tin, Ma On Shan, Tai Po and North District. Upgrading of the ATC system on Hong Kong Island was completed in mid-2006. In addition, the installation of ATC systems in Tuen Mun