WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1983
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COMPUTERISED TRAFFIC CONTROL EXTENDED
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THE COMPUTERISED AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL - ATC SYSTEM NOW COVERS THE WHOLE OF THE KOWLOON PENINSULA WEST OF KAI TAK AIRPORT, AND THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE HONG KONG ISLAND NORTH CORRIDOR.
IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED FROM THE 120 JUNCTIONS PREVIOUSLY COVERED IN WEST KOWLOON.
DISCLOSING THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY), A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THERE ARE NOW 215 SIGNAL JUNCTIONS IN KOWLOON AND 62 SIGNAL JUNCTIONS ON HONG KONG ISLAND UNDER COMPUTER CONTROL. THE ALTERATIONS OF SIGNAL TIMINGS AT THESE JUNCTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT AUTOMATICALLY BY THE COMPUTER.
+THE ROUTINE OF AUTOMATIC PLAN SELECTION CAN, IF NECESSARY, BE OVERRIDDEN BY THE COMPUTER OPERATOR, WHO CAN ADJUST TIMINGS TO CATER FOR ABNORMAL TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, HE SAID.
THE EXTENSION IN KOWLOON COSTS $38 MILLION.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID ALSO THAT A NEW ATC COMPUTER HAD BEEN MANUFACTURED AND INSTALLED IN THE KOWLOON TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE IN THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING IN NATHAN ROAD, TO FACILITATE CONTROL OF AN ADDITIONAL 34 JUNCTIONS IN THE HÚNG HOM AND TO KWA WAN AREA, AND UP TO 77 JUNCTIONS ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
THE NEW COMPUTER TOOK 15 MONTHS TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND INSTALL AT A COST OF $10 MILLION. THE CONTRACT FOR THE COMPUTER WORK, WHICH WAS UNDERTAKEN BY GEC TRAFFIC AUTOMATION LIMITED OF UK, WAS COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE, HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT COMPUTER CONTROL OF SIGNALS ON HONG KONG ISLAND FROM THE KOWLOON CONTROL CENTRE WAS AN INTERIM MEASURE TO ALLEVIATE AN IMMEDIATE TRAFFIC CONTROL PROBLEM IN THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE ISLAND CORRIDOR, UNTIL AN INDEPENDENT SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
+A FULL ATC COMPUTER SYSTEM TO CONTROL ALL THE SIGNALS ON THE NORTH SHORE OF THE ISLAND IS PLANNED ALSO. IT WILL BE HOUSED IN A NEW COMPUTER CONTROL CENTRE ON HONG KONG ISLAND IN A BUILDING ADJACENT TO RUMSEY STREET MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK,+ HE ADDED.
THE OLD TYPE TRAFFIC SIGNAL HEADS AT JUNCTIONS THAT ARE UNDER COMPUTER CONTROL ARE BEING REPLACED BY BRIGHTER TRAFFIC SIGNALS, HE SAID.
IN ADDITION, THE CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM INSTALLED IN WEST KOWLOON IN APRIL LAST YEAR IS BEING EXPANDED FROM ITS PRESENT 10 CAMERAS TO ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 20 CAMERAS. THIS WILL ENABLE THE CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS TO VISUALLY MONITOR THE SITUATION AT OVER 100 KEY JUNCTIONS IN KOWLOON PENINSULA AREA.
A SIMILAR CCTV SYSTEM IS ALSO PLANNED FOR HONG KONG ISLAND.
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