Hope rides on high-tech traffic signal project

THOUGH its adaptive traffic signal

project might be slightly delayed, the

Department of Public Works and

Highway's Traffic Engineering Center is hopeful that the online

system will help significantly reduce traffic congestion in Metro

Manila.

Dante Inciong, TEC chief of planning and design, stressed,

however, that the high-tech solution would complement and not

replace traffic volume reduction programs like the Saturday

traffic scheme.

"In my opinion, the adaptive traffic signal is only a palliative if

the volume of vehicles remains high. The traffic signal is just

one factor. What we really need are mass transport systems,"

Inciong said.

He stated that it is only after full implementation of more mass

transport systems like the Mass Rail Transit that they would be

able to consider lifting the traffic reduction schemes.

In a separate interview, Hussein Lidasan, director of the

National Center for Transportation Studies at UP Diliman,

agreed with Inciong's assessment.

"The Scats (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic Signal)

system is just one traffic management measure. We need

volume reduction schemes hand-in-hand with traffic control

solutions," he said.

The Scats system differs from conventional traffic signals

because it can intelligently adjust to the traffic flow at

intersections. For example, at night when there might be no

vehicles coming from one direction, Scats can adapt by skipping

the green light for that direction. This real-time system tailors

the traffic signal to actual traffic demands in coordination with

other Scats-enabled intersections. The Australian government

developed Scats, with AWA-Plessey as the project contractor

and the Philippine Long Distance Co. as the telecommunications

infrastructure provider for the online system.

Meanwhile, the NCTS will survey Scats' effectiveness by

surveying traffic conditions before and after implementation in

an intersection.

"We've already done the 'before' study of phase one of Scats

for the intersection of Roxas Boulevard and Taft Avenue,"

Lidasan said, adding that AWA-Plessey asked them to

postpone the "after" study, which was supposed to have been

completed by the middle of June.

Scats was piloted in Cebu, for which the NCTS has a "before

and after" survey. Lidasan said the implementation of Scats

resulted in a "considerable decrease in travel time." He

explained, however, that it is difficult to say that traffic

improvement was solely due to Scats, since other traffic

schemes were also in effect in Cebu.

"Of course, you also can't totally compare the two because

Cebu is a smaller city," he added.

According to Inciong, a Scats test which the DPWH conducted

about five months ago at Espaqa and A. Mendoza Streets

showed an an estimated 15- to 20-percent improvement in traffic

flow.

"We might actually have a higher percentage of traffic

improvement once the system is completely online," Inciong

said.

Launched in September 1997, the Scats project is still ongoing,

with an estimated 159 out of the 419 intersections already

completely upgraded, according to Ernesto Camarillo, director of

the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's Traffic

Operations Center. He said that of these 159 intersections, 112

Scats systems have already been linked. Once the Scats system

has been fully deployed, the DPWH will turn over the project to

the MMDA.

Though the project was supposed to be completed by

September or October 2000, Inciong said that it is more likely

that the system will be finished by the year 2001. He cited

problems with construction permits as a major reason for delay.

"After securing the construction permit from the MMDA, we

still had to get a permit from the local government unit. But right

now we already have a good relationship with the local

government," he said.

For Camarillo, Scats will prove an indispensable tool for

enhancing traffic management.

"Our traffic officers can now concentrate more on traffic

enforcement rather than traffic direction. Right now, our

enforcers are overworked, but with automation they can focus

on enforcing traffic rules and regulations," he said.