XN000022-1977-04-22 — Page 2

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1977

COMPUTERS TAKE OVER TRAFFIC CONTROL

IN WEST KOWLOON

****

TRAFFIC CONTROL IN HONG KONG ENTERED THE ELECTRONIC AGE TODAY WHEN THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. DEREK JONES, PUSHED A BUTTON SWITCHING ON A FULLY COMPUTERISED TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH AIMS TO BEAT CONGESTION IN THE BUSY WEST KOWLOON AREA.

THE NEW SYSTEM, DESIGNED BY A TEAM OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE U.K. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, IS EXPECTED TO CUT TRAVELLING TIME IN THE AREA BY UP TO 15 PER CENT.

IT BRINGS 83 TRAFFIC SIGNALS ALONG THE MAIN THOROUGHFARES OF SHAM SHUI PO, MONG KOK, YAU MA TEI AND PART OF TSIM SHA TSUI UNDER THE CONTROL OF TWO COMPUTERS HOUSED IN THE P.W.D.'S AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE IN THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

FROM DATA ON TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION FED THROUGH A SERIES OF VEHICLE DETECTORS TO THE CONTROL ROOM, IMMEDIATE ACTION CAN BE TAKEN TO CHANGE TRAFFIC PLANS TO SUIT PREVAILING CONDITIONS.

SWITCHING ON THE SYSTEM TODAY, MR. JONES SAID THE NEW COMPUTER CONTROL WAS THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF NEW AND FAR REACHING DEVELOPMENTS IN TRAFFIC CONTROL IN HONG KONG WHICH WAS NOW MOVING TOWARDS THE FOREFRONT OF MODERN TRAFFIC CONTROL TECHNOLOGY.

UP TO NOW, TRAFFIC CONTROL HAD BEEN OPERATED AT THE INDIVIDUAL JUNCTION LEVEL. +WE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT, TOWARDS SYSTEMS WHERE WE CAN, AT THE FLICK OF A SWITCH, INFLUENCE TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND MOVEMENTS OVER A WIDE AREA, HE SAID.

HE SAID THE NEW SYSTEM AND OTHERS TO FOLLOW ALSO OPENED UP A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE P.W.D.'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE, THE TRAFFIC POLICE, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, FIRE SERVICES AND THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMPANIES.

+THIS CAN ONLY BE TO THE IR MUTUAL BENEFIT AS WELL AS THAT OF THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC AS A WHOLE, HE SAID.

THIS FEELING WAS SHARED BY THE P.W.D.'S DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR. DAVID STEAD WHO SAID THAT DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WERE BEING HELD WITH THE POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES TO DETERMINE THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH THE SYSTEM COULD BE DEVELOPED FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.

THE NEW SYSTEM -- SUPPLIED BY GEC-ELLIOTT TRAFFIC AUTOMATION -- HELD TREMENDOUS POSSIBILITIES, HE SAID, AND COULD CONTROL ABOUT DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS NOW CONNECTED TO IT.

/+HOWEVER,