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)