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03-08-2007
Beijing
has set up a monitoring system to provide real-time
reports on traffic conditions in the city's
center to alleviate its notorious congestion,
a senior municipal transportation official said
yesterday.
It is estimated that traffic congestion causes
13 billion yuan (US$1.7 billion) in economic
losses every year, said Wang Gang, director
of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Information
Center.
The
average vehicle speed is about 20 kmph, and
an average driver spends two to three hours
a day stuck in traffic. The low speeds meant
a lot of energy is wasted and more emissions
were released. In addition, the utilization
rate of the city¡¯s roads is about
20 percent.
Wang said his center could give city residents
real-time reports on traffic conditions within
the fifth ring road.
"People can access the information via
FM radio, their mobile phones or a terminal
installed in their vehicles. Or they could log
on to the center¡¯s website,"
he said.
The center receives traffic information from
special global positioning system terminals
installed in about 10,000 cabs around the city,
he said, adding that the scale of the project
was unprecedented in the world.
More terminals could be added to cabs and buses
during the 2008 Olympic Games, he said.
The 14th World Congress on Intelligent Transport
Systems will be held in Beijing from October
9 to 13, Wang said.
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