Singapore, known as the Lion City, prides itself in being one of the smartest cities in the world. Indeed, smart technology is deployed throughout the city state to help citizens get smart in many areas, including transportation. Sensors and video analytics play a chief role in making transportation smarter and safe
Singapore, known as the Lion City, prides itself in being one of the smartest cities in the world. Indeed, smart technology is deployed throughout the city state to help citizens get smart in many areas, including transportation.
Sensors and video analytics play a chief role in making transportation smarter and safer in Singapore. In terms of parking, finding a place to park in the city can be a frustrating experience, not to mention the environmental impact. In this regard, Singapore has resorted to sensors and smart technology to improve the navigation process.
“Most major shopping malls in Singapore are equipped with sensors to indicate how many empty parking lots are available. Digital notice boards are also being displayed along major roads to indicate parking lots availability in the malls around the vicinity. Majority of public housing carparks are converting to electronic gantry parking system,” said John Tan, Key Account Manager at ABB.
Paying for parking or highway/road usage has also been made smarter and more automatic. Each registered vehicle is equipped with an in-vehicle unit inserted with a digital cash storage card, from which parking fees or highway tolls are deducted. According to Tan, in early 2016 the Singapore Government awarded to a consortium a US$397 million tender for its satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), which will allow the ability to track any vehicle in Singapore and charge drivers according to road usage.
Video also plays an important role, too, not only in keeping traffic smooth but also helping improve service and detect certain driving behavior. “Since 2014, NEC and (Singapore's transit authority) SMRT have worked together to implement Singapore's first telematics system to monitor bus drivers' driving behavior. The system involves the use of business analytics which leverage on big data technologies to identify high-risk driving behaviors, through analyzing data collected from the driver profiles, driving behavior, historical route-related information, as well as others. This will enable SMRT to customize training plans for a bus driver, based on his performance and competency gaps,” said Lim Kok Quee, Managing Director for Singapore at NEC Asia Pacific.
Another technology that Singapore is looking at is driver-less vehicles, which are expected to play a major role in transporting citizens in the near future. “You will be able to use your smartphone to hail a cab, which will be a driverless vehicle taking you to a train station where you can take the train. With that most people do not need to own a car, so you free up a lot of parking spaces and reduce congestion, and it's more efficient for everybody,” said Philip Leong, VP for APAC at BellaDati. “Driverless vehicles are still in trial stage because they carry safety concerns and legal issues. We are working these things out and hopefully, we'll see driverless vehicles in Singapore in next 3-5 years.”