ITS to offer traffic status alerts beginning 2020

PETALING JAYA: Road users will be alerted of any traffic congestion or accidents on highways, expressways and artery roads when the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) kick-starts in stages nationwide by 2020 after the implementation of multi-lane free flow (MLFF) at toll plazas.
They can then decide whether to use alternative routes to get to their destinations.
For example, news of a landslide along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway recently can be delivered to highway users in real time.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof told theSun the system will provide highway users with estimated time to destination and suggest alternative routes or detours during congestion or accidents many kilometres ahead.
"Users will be promptly informed from the traffic broadcasting system about the situation on toll roads and other routes. ITS will include communication between vehicle and vehicle and also with pedestrians," he said.
In developed countries, Fadillah added, the ITS provides hazard warning and traffic information to the public via mobile phone apps as well as devices inside their vehicles.
Citing an example of the smart highway concept in use at the Gyeong-bu Expressway between Seoul TG and Suwon in South Korea, he said the incident detection information technology, transmitted via radar sensor of 34.5Ghz frequency, can spot fallen objects, road mishaps or stationary vehicles along the highway.
"It can also inform the authorities to respond to hazards and road crashes quickly. This includes 'intelligent speed adaptation' for all road users to apply safe speed limits in view of the danger ahead," he explained.
Fadillah said based on official visits to the United States, South Korea and Japan, he observed that ITS contributed to the success of the MLFF and electronic toll collection (ETC) 2.0 system.
He expects ITS to be developed in stages after the implementation of non-barrier MLFF at highways and expressways nationwide in 2018. In line with this, an ITS council has been established, chaired by him.
"A national blueprint on ITS will be ready by the end of 2016. From there, we will identify which system to adopt," he added.
At the World Road Congress 2015 in Seoul recently, Fadillah presented Malaysia's plan to embark on the ITS.
"Malaysia is serious about exploring the ITS system and its effective usage does not only reduce operational costs to the relevant agencies but also provide benefit to user in many ways," he told the global audience.
He did not rule out public-private partnerships to develop the system.
"Our challenge will be funding and finding suitable and affordable technology that is sustainable," he added.