City installs more traffic controllers

City installs more traffic controllers

JAKARTA (JP): The City's Traffic Control Agency has installed more Area Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) units throughout the city to fight the worsening traffic jams.

With the additional units the agency now has 186 units in its three zones: 117 ATCS controllers and 24 monitors in the central zone, 25 controllers and five monitors in the west, and 44 controllers and six monitors in the east zone.

The city earlier announced it had allocated Rp 10 billion for additional ATCS devices in 90 locations.

The agency's head of technical affairs, Nurachman, said new traffic-prone areas were identified with the help of the traffic controller and supporting monitors.

"The existing computerized system is still operational but needs more devices," he said.

The city's ATCS units, controlled from City Hall's third floor, first began operating around 1978.

The agency can monitor traffic congestion and the technical failure of any traffic lights in the city through the integrated computerized traffic control system.

Nurachman said the zoning did not follow mayoralty divisions. The traffic in all corners of the city was followed by the system, he said.

But the public often gets the impression that the traffic is beyond control.

Nurachman said the system was often hit by electricity cuts. And the agency's monitoring devices installed near street junctions were often hit by vehicles.

Nurachman said the agency had tried to respond promptly to public complaints about traffic lights.

"But we are dependent on PLN," he said. PLN is the state-owned electricity firm. (03)