FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1982
KOWLOON AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL TV SYSTEM
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A CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION (CCTV) SYSTEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED, ENABLING THE TRAFFIC SITUATION AT MORE THAN 50 KEY SIGNALISED JUNCTIONS IN WEST KOWLOON TO BE VIEWED FROM KOWLOON AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) COMPUTER CENTRE.
DISCLOSING THIS TODAY, MR LEE KWOK-HUNG, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE DIVISION, OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, SAID: THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT THESE JUNCTIONS ARE CONNECTED TO THE ATC COMPUTER AND THE SIGNAL TIMINGS CAN BE ALTERED REMOTELY BY THE COMPUTER.
+THE ABILITY TO SEE AND MONITOR THE SITUATION WILL ENABLE THE COMPUTER OPERATORS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO MINIMISE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AS THEY ARISE.+
THE CCTV SYSTEM CONSISTS OF 10 CAMERAS ON MASTS RANGING IN HEIGHT FROM SEVEN METRES TO 15 METRES. EACH CAMERA IS CONNECTED BY CABLE TO THE MAIN ATC COMPUTER CONTROL ROOM IN THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES, NATHAN ROAD, AND CAN BE REMOTELY
CONTROLLED.
MR LEE SAID THAT EACH CAMERA COULD BE TURNED HORIZONTALLY AND TILTED UP AND DOWN A POWERFUL ZOOM LENS ALLOWED THE OPERATOR TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT TRAFFIC PROBLEM SPOTS.
+FOR EXAMPLE, THE CAMERA AT THE NATHAN ROAD/SALISBURY ROAD JUNCTION CAN BE TURNED NORTHWARD BY REMOTE CONTROL TO VIEW TRAFFIC ON NATHAN ROAD AS FAR AS HAIPHONG ROAD EASTWARD TO VIEW SALISBURY ROAD AS FAR AS CHATHAM ROAD AND WESTWARD TO VIEW SALISBURY ROAD AS FAR AS CANTON ROAD, HE EXPLAINED.
THE 10 CAMERAS ARE AT THESE JUNCTIONS:
NATHAN ROAD/SALISBURY ROAD, JORDON ROAD/FERRY STREET, WATERLOO ROAD/FERRY STREET, TONG MEI ROAD/MONG KOK ROAD, TONG MEI ROAD/LAI CHI KOK ROAD, LAI CHI KOK ROAD/YEN CHOW STREET, YEN CHOW STREET/ CASTLE PEAK ROAD, SAI YEE STREET/PRINCE EDWARD ROAD, NATHAN ROAD/ GASCOIGNE ROAD, NATHAN ROAD/ARGYLE STREET.
+POLICE KOWLOON TRAFFIC HEADQUARTERS IN ARGYLE STREET ALREADY HOUSES A SECONDARY ATC COMPUTER CONTROL TERMINAL, AND AN AUXILIARY CCTV CONTROL CONSOLE HAS BEEN INSTALLED THERE. OUTSIDE NORMAL WORKING HOURS, CONTROL OF ATC FACILITIES IS PASSED TO TRAFFIC HEADQUARTERS, ENABLING 24-HOUR COVERAGE OF TRAFFIC.
+THE CCTV SYSTEM HAS AN ULTIMATE EXPANSION CAPACITY OF 20 CAMERAS. EXPANSION OF THE CCTV SYSTEM IS PLANNED TO BEGIN WHEN THE KOWLOON ATC SYSTEM IS EXPANDED, HE SAID.
THE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED BY GEC (HONG KONG) LTD. AT A COST OF ABOUT $3.4 MILLION FOR ELECTRICAL WORKS, AND HAS TAKEN TWO YEARS TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND INSTALL.
WORK HAS ALSO