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SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 1978
CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS INVITED TENDERS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO COMPLÉMENT THE OPERATION OF THE WEST KOWLOON AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.
THIS TELEVISION SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE THE OPERATOR VISUAL INFORMATION OF THE ACTUAL TRAFFIC CONDITION.
WITH THIS VISUAL INFORMATION AND THE INFORMATION FROM THE TRAFFIC DETECTORS, THE OPERATOR WILL BE ABLE TO DEAL, MORE EFFECTIVELY, WITH UNEXPECTED TRAFFIC SITUATIONS IN THE AREA.
THE INITIAL SYSTEM WILL CONSIST OF 10 CAMERAS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED AT BUSY TRAFFIC LOCATIONS IN WEST KOWLOON. THE PICTURES WILL BE TRANSMITTED VIA CABLES TO THE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE AT KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND THE POLICE TRAFFIC OFFICE AT ARGYLE STREET.
IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE INSTALLATION OF THIS SYSTEM WILL TAKE 19 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
SIMILAR CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN MOST CITIES OVERSEAS WHERE AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL IS USED AND HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE OF CONSIDERABLE BENEFIT.
THE WEST KOWLOON AREA CONTROL SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE MARCH 1977 AND BY THE END OF 1979, IT WILL BE CONTROLLING 114 SETS OF TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS.
THE SYSTEM CONTROLS AND CO-ORDINATES THE TIMINGS OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS THROUGHOUT AN AREA TO ENSURE TRAFFIC CAN MOVE AS QUICKLY AND SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE. IT ALSO PERMITS THE CONTROL OF INDIVIDUAL SETS OR GROUPS OF SIGNALS BY THE CONTROL ROOM OPERATOR. FOR THE LATTER FORM OF CONTROL, THE OPERATOR HAS TO HAVE FIRST HAND INFORMATION OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION AT THE JUNCTIONS BEING CONSIDERED.
TRAFFIC DETECTORS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED TO MONITOR THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE CONTROL AREA AND TO ALERT THE OPERATOR TO POINTS WHERE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS SEVERE. HOWEVER TO ENABLE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN THE OPERATOR REQUIRES VISUAL INFORMATION OF THE ACTUAL STREET TRAFFIC.
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