Abu Dhabi: Bilingual automated voice broadcasts are among the services to be offered as part of the Integrated Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) strategy for Abu Dhabi.
The broadcasts are to offer updates on travel time, congestion and incidents via the Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) and Dynamic Messaging Signs (DMS) ahead of route decision points, particularly at approaches to bridges and freeway-to-freeway interchanges.
The strategy announced on Tuesday is also to include CCTV cameras and web and mobile phone information services, to allow drivers to access information easily, an official said.
"The main goal behind the ITS strategy, which incorporates a five-year projects plan, is to create a world class transportation system in Abu Dhabi. Traditionally, this has typically meant building new highways and other infrastructure. However, it has become clear that the future of transportation is increasingly dependent on ITS," said Khalid Mohammad Hashim, Executive Director of Land Transport at the Department of Transport.
"We are confident that the implementation of the ITS strategy in the emirate will result in many benefits, including a reduction in the number of road crashes, improvements in speed limit compliance, and a diminishing of greenhouse emissions," he added.
Quick-win projects
The nature of the Strategic ITS projects, part of Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, would take time to implement, and temporary solutions would be used more quickly, he said.
Among the quick-win projects currently in the tendering stage were portable variable message signs, incident-detection stations, non-citation traffic cameras and a web-based traffic congestion information service. These would help the region tremendously, he said.
Future ITS strategy plans for Abu Dhabi would include weather and speed advisory information on rural routes, parking information for central business districts, and information systems for public transport.
The new strategy would support the transport infrastructure development taking place in Abu Dhabi, to help the emirate achieve its goal to build a world-class transport system.
Officials said that the ITS would utilise advanced communications and information technologies to move people and goods in a faster, safer and more efficient manner.
It would also include a number of services to help ease problems of congestion, insufficient transport infrastructure, increasing emissions and growing customer needs.
Initial deployment will focus on the management of traffic and incidents along limited-access highways in the Abu Dhabi metropolitan region.
The Abu Dhabi Transportation Management Centre (ADTMC) would be built according to best international practices and would provide consolidated and integrated operations facilities, officials said.
