Skip to main content

Dubai RTA implementing integrated synchronisation for signalised junctions

The number of signalised junctions in Dubai has increased to 412, most of which are controlled by the Traffic Control System Centres of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA). According to engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA's Traffic and Roads Agency, the agency is currently working on an integrated project to synchronise and upgrade databases for 180 main signalised junctions. Some 60 of them will be completed in the current year, and 120 next year, she said, adding that the implementation of the project
July 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The number of signalised junctions in Dubai has increased to 412, most of which are controlled by the Traffic Control System Centres of the 6700 Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

According to engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of the RTA's Traffic and Roads Agency, the agency is currently working on an integrated project to synchronise and upgrade databases for 180 main signalised junctions. Some 60 of them will be completed in the current year, and 120 next year, she said, adding that the implementation of the project was in response to recommendations in a traffic study conducted by the RTA to improve the performance of the traffic signals in the emirate. The experimental studies conducted on some junctions in Dubai showed that the trip time dropped by 15 per cent in areas covered by the study and in which synchronisation and database upgrades were undertaken.

"The Agency attends to training engineers and operators of the intelligent traffic systems on a number of traffic plans for synchronising the timing of traffic lights, where such plans may in some junctions reach six different plans for a single traffic light per day, depending on peak hours and frequency of congestion in roads leading to junctions,” said Engineer Maitha. “The Agency also trains them on the latest techniques of signals timings, and methods of linking a number of traffic lights. The RTA is keen that the lapse time for all directions shall not exceed 240 seconds and that the connected traffic signals should not exceed 16 signals," she continued.

In respect of the traffic control centre, Maitha said the capacity of devices operating the signalling system has been upgraded at the control centre in order to manage the current and future of signalised junctions. "The Centre is equipped with the latest version of data analysis system to analyse information transmitted by sensors. The number of surveillance cameras increased to 240 cameras, and the Agency is moving ahead with plans to improve the calibre of traffic services rendered to the public," said Maitha.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Urban utility
    July 24, 2012
    Steve Lane, Commercial Director at Triteq, talks about the successful deployment of ZigBee in Barcelona where a low-cost wireless metropolitan network for location and citizen services was established. The project, he says, demonstrates ZigBee's effectiveness as an urban communications system solution ZigBee is based on the IEEE radio frequency standard 802.15.4 - 2006 for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN), which provides a license-free radio frequency for a flexible, robust private wireless network. Z
  • Coventry City Council chooses Siemens for traffic signal refurbishment project
    October 26, 2017
    Siemens has been awarded a contract by Coventry City Council (CCC), through the National Productivity Investment Fund, to design and refurbish traffic signal equipment and systems at nine signalised junctions in the region. CCC is renewing life-expired traffic control equipment with the latest designs and management systems to improve network performance and reliability and reduce maintenance costs.
  • South Africa's first multi-lane free-flow tolling top of the line
    February 3, 2012
    Kapsch's Kjell Arnesson talks about the first multi-lane free-flow tolling project in South Africa. In South Africa, installation is ongoing as part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) of the country's first Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) tolling system.
  • Temporary traffic monitoring with Bluetooth and wi-fi
    May 31, 2013
    David Crawford reviews developments in temporary ITS. Widespread take-up of technologies such as Bluetooth and wi-fi are encouraging the emergence of more sophisticated, while still cost effective, ITS responses to the traffic issues posed by temporary road situations such as work zones and special events. Andy Graham of traffic solutions specialists White Willow Consulting says: “A machine-to-machine radio link is far easier and cheaper than reading characters on a plate.” There can be other plusses. Tech