Introduction Of ITIS

In line with one of the objectives of the Structural Plan Kuala Lumpur 2020 to improve the management of the Klang Valley's transport infrastructure system, City Hall Kuala Lumpur (CHKL) has selected Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS) to improve the planning and traffic flow in the city.

CHKL also expects ITIS to fulfill the need to gather, share and make available accurate and up-to-date traffic information to road users to help them ease their traffic woes in the Klang Valley.

Brief traffic information of what to expect along the way, such as road congestion, will offer both motorists and commuters some peace of mind as they can decide which road to take or to avoid and the best time to travel to get to their destinations easier, faster and safer.

A comprehensive traffic management system, ITIS will integrate the present road transport network as well as provide a communications interface for sprawling road systems in the Klang Valley and Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) area.

http://www.itis.com.my/images/panorama%203.jpg

Source: ITIS's Website (http://www.itis.com.my)

How ITIS works?

At the heart of ITIS is the Transport Management Centre (TMC), which serves as the hub or nerve centre of the entire ITIS system as it receives, processes and disseminates traffic information around the clock. System operators will then use this information to monitor the transportation system operations and formulate strategies to enhance transport management.

TMC houses two core support systems of ITIS, namely the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) and the Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS).
A fully automated system, ATMS binds primary traffic data collected from Automatic Incident Detection (AID) system and Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS). The AID system detects traffic congestion on the roads while the AVLS provides real time travel database.

The system also manages the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance cameras to monitor traffic situation and congestions. In addition, ATMS updates real-time road condition messages on Variable Message Signs (VMS) boards along major roads.

Information gathered on traffic situations and congestion will be sent to TMC for analysis and evaluation before being transformed into useful traffic information. TMC operators will use this information to formulate traffic management strategies such as maximising roadway capacity usage, reducing travel times and improving traffic safety.

At the same time, ATIS will deliver this real-time traffic information to road users and commuters in the form of a congestion map, travel speed map and incident map via the Internet (with support for wireless services) and Call Centre.

Road users will get updated information on road conditions and congestion via Variable Message Signs (VMS) units located strategically along major roads.

http://www.itis.com.my/images/klim-8.jpg

ITIS Benefits

Intelligent Transport systems such as ITIS have been widely and successfully implemented in major cities around the world, bringing significant benefits to motorists and commuters.

Some of the benefits of ITIS:


Allows informed decisions to be made on travel (i.e. choice of routes, modes and schedules)
Enables real-time capture of traffic information for incident management and long-term transport planning
Alleviates traffic congestion and delays during rush hour periods and emergency situations
Reduces accidents, their severity and impact on the highway
Improves emergency assistance for motorists and commuters
Reduces travel times and promotes more uniform traffic flow
Reduces pollution as a result of less time idling in traffic
Provides comfort, safety and security in highway travel particularly around construction zones
Improves utilisation of available road capacity
Improves quality of life in the Klang Valley

Q & A on ITIS

Q1. What is Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS)?
A1. Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS) is a comprehensive traffic information system developed for City Hall Kuala Lumpur (CHKL) to monitor traffic flow and analyse the data on road conditions in the Klang Valley to provide useful traffic information to road users.

Q2. How does ITIS work?
A2. ITIS integrates the present transport network as well as offers a communication interface for sprawling road systems in the Klang Valley through its two core support systems namely the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) and the Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS), which are located in the Transport Management Centre (TMC).

Q3. What is Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS)?
A3. Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) provides CHKL traffic operators with an integrated interface and data link with traffic control surveillance system to monitor traffic network including incident locations, traffic volumes, congestion levels and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance.

Q4. What is Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS)?
A4. Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS) is a data integration system that is integrated with ATMS to deliver accurate, reliable, and timely information to road users - as and when made available.

Q5. What is the area covered?
A5. Geographically, all main roads in the KL Federal Territory. Specifically, the scope calls for the monitoring of 45 main road corridors within the Klang Valley. This includes the Inner Ring Road (Jalan Raja Chulan), the Middle Ring Road 1 (Jalan Tun Razak), the Middle Ring Road 2, and major radials such as Federal Highway Route 2, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Sentul, KL-Seremban expressway etc. In total, there will be over 200kms of roads which will be monitored.

Q6. Does ITIS cover all the highways ?
A6. We do not generally overlap with existing toll highway concessionaires which undertake their own traffic control and surveillance systems. Our focus is on State, Federal and Local Authority Roads generally within the KL FT area.

Q7. What is Transport Management Centre (TMC)?
A7. Transport Management Centre (TMC) serves as the hub for the entire ITIS systems by receiving, processing and disseminating data all around the clock. A research and development centre, this mission critical centre enables information about transportation network to be collected, processed and integrated with other control data centres to produce useful information which will then be used by CHKL to monitor the road network operations as well as initiate strategies to improve it.

Q8. How will ITIS benefit me?
A8. ITIS delivers accurate and most current traffic information to help you plan your travel around Klang Valley. You can check out ITIS traffic information via the ITIS portal and your mobile phone in the near future.

Q9. Is ITIS system compatible with ITS system from other makers?
A9. We deal primarily with traffic information and therefore our back-end focus is to integrate different sources of information such as from highway concessionaires, rail operators, bus operators etc with our own own primary network of data sensors (CCTV, automatic incident detection systems). In other words, although, we have our own front-end primary data sensors and collectors, the back-end will be customised to incorporate a large variety of different information sources. It should also be noted that the system is designed to work within a multi-jurisdictional environment such that the Transport Management Center (TMC) will serve primarily as a data exchange and collaboration center.

Q10. Where is this system being used other than DBKL?
A10. This system (ITIS) is being customised specifically to meet local project requirements. On the surface, however, you will find many operational similarities with systems implemented in Singapore (EMAS), Sydney, Perth, and many major cities worldwide (almost every major city in the United States, Europe, Japan).

Q11. What is the ITIS portal all about?
A11. The ITIS portal disseminates ITIS traffic advice via the Internet through its easy-to-use services such as Route Planner, Driving Tips and Public Transport.

Q12. What is Route Planner?
A12. Route Planner provides useful highway/expressway related information such as toll locations and fares, exit or interchange points, rest areas or laybys, petrol station directory, alternative routes and useful numbers for motorists to plan their travel around Klang Valley via highways and expressways.

Q13. What is Driving Tips?
A13. Driving Tips features informative articles on various road safety topics from safety tips and road courtesy to car maintenance and driver's resources.

Q14. What is Public Transport?
A14. Public Transport provides an information board for commuters to check out routes, schedules and fares for bus and train services as well as a taxi directory.

Q15. When will ITIS be ready?
A15. ITIS will be fully ready by middle of 2005.

Q16. When will the mobile version of ITIS be rolled out?
A16. The mobile or WAP version of ITIS will be available by middle of 2005.

Q17. Do I need to sign up to use this service?
A17. No, you don't need to sign up to use this service. You can visit the ITIS portal to get most current Klang Valley traffic information via the Internet.

Q18. Do I have to pay for this service?
A18. No, this service is free for all.


ITIS' Control Centre

http://www.itis.com.my/images/TMC-001_291004.jpg

sounds great!

data on mobile phone would be a bit troublesome i guess.. perhaps gps system to be installed in every car would be greater.

a very good concept indead.I think it's being used in Melbourne n Singapore.I heard that GPS in Malaysia is impossible due to different radio frequency wave,is it true?

KL Will Gain From Smaller Number Of Transport Service Providers


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Cities like Kuala Lumpur should have a smaller number of public transport operators as efficiencies can be gained with sufficient economies of scale, says Nadicorp Holdings Bhd's executive chairman, Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

Furthermore, it would be easier for the authorities to regulate just a few sizeable players as opposed to many varied sizes and scale of operations, he said when presenting his paper on "Urban Transportation in Kuala Lumpur-The Challenge Ahead" at the second day of the National Multimodal Transport Conference 2004, here Tuesday.

Mohd Nadzmi said that being smaller in number, the authorities would be able to regulate the companies more easily to ensure that they meet the agreed level of service.

He also suggested that the Klang Valley be divided into four zones with one bus company allocated to each zone.

Mohd Nadzmi, who is also executive chairman of Express Rail Link, said divisioning will result in each company enjoying some monopoly power within their zone and this would allow them to achieve the economies of scale needed for efficient operations.

"Since it is a level playing field, each zone operator can be benchmarked against each other as an additional check and balance," he said.

Mohd Nadzmi said that incentives could also be worked out to reward good operators based on quality of service and higher revenue collection and cost efficiency.

This would also ensure that non-profitable or social routes are served as these would be cross-subsidised by the more profitable routes in their zone.

"In the long run, there would then be no financial burden to the government in the operations of bus services because well-managed operators will be profitable and expand their business whilst weaker operators will exit the industry," he said.

Currently, the government subsidises 30 percent of the public transportation costs and more than RM10 billion has been spent on public transport infrastructure in the form of new buses, the Light Rail Transport, KTM Komuter and the KL Monorail.

Mohd Nadzmi said that fewer operators would also mean better performance because of improved loading factors and higher ridership, without a corresponding increase in costs.

He noted that the government would have to incur huge subsidies if the existing number of operators are allowed to continue.

To date, there are approximately 14 different bus companies operating in the Klang Valley.

Another way forward is to actually shift the focus away from buses to train services like the KTM Komuter and LRT.

He suggested buses could become complementary services to ply the routes where it is difficult for the trains to reach and to provide the "last mile" journey.

-- BERNAMA

Nice building! Completed now?