Holiday travellers making use of SANRAL’s i-Traffic system now have access to new features that will enable them to better plan their journeys and avoid congestion on the country’s freeways.
“Realtime information on road conditions, congestion and estimated travel times contributes greatly to road safety at a time when the national road network is at its busiest,” says Vusi Mona, the spokesperson of the South African National Roads Agency SOC (Ltd). “People are now able to plan and tailor their journeys according to off-peak periods and be aware about crashes or congestion on the road ahead.
Prospective new users can log into the i-Traffic network through the website https://www.i-traffic.co.za.
The New Advanced Traveller Information System was rolled out last month and has already proven its value during the first week of the holiday season. Among the new features are:
* A single adaptive display that will automatically align itself with the device being used. I-Traffic users will no longer need to log on to separate mobile sites when using computers, tablets or smart phones.
* An updated tool for trip planning and congestion alerts. The system now provides estimated door-to-door travel times and incident alerts based upon the user’s unique profile.
* A new “My Cameras” feature which enables users to add their most frequently viewed cameras to the i-traffic.co.za homepage.
* A better user experience and improved usability when accessing the website.
Mona says i-Traffic is South Africa’s most advanced traffic information system covering the primary roads in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Users are able to see road conditions, incidents and congestion prior to the start of their journeys and receive real time alerts when conditions change.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) was introduced by SANRAL to meet the growing need among road users to have access to accurate, real-time information about road conditions. The system is also linked to SANRAL’s emergency response units and On-road services, further contributing to road safety.
At the core of the system is a number of closed-circuit television cameras placed at strategic positions along the highways. The collected images and data are then relayed to traffic management centres where the information is disseminated and analysed.
When road conditions change, or incidents occur the information is posted on overhead electronic signposts, known as variable message signs and posted on the website while registered users receive alerts on their devices.
Mona says the new changes are also contributing to the gathering of additional traffic and incident data that will be used for future planning. Decision-makers will be able to use this data to gain insights into critical traffic hot spots and the impact of variables such as weather conditions, time of day, network flow and speeds.
There are already live CCTV feeds of the system to the Cape Town International Airport Management Centre and the Public Emergency Communication Centre (107) in Cape Town.
SANRAL will also provide live feeds to other transport management professionals in other entities such as the Road Traffic Management Corporation, and provincial and local governments over time.
