ITSHK Newsletter Issue 05 July 2001

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Forum: iBus and other Passenger Information Sytems

The spinning off of RoadShow from KMB is definitely one of the hottest gossip in town at the moment, for both the general public and the professionals. Disregarding the more political part, the ITS-HK is grateful to Mr Sam Lam of Roctec Technology Ltd (right) in sharing his vision on the local passenger information systems (PIS) development on 9 May 2001. Mr Lam also discussed in details on how the PIS which we see everyday at the rail and bus stations work. More information on Mr Lam's talk is now available.

Visit: Airport Ground Transportation Centre

Managing the airport landside operations can be one of the most challenging job one can have. Not only is the traffic operation of the local roads and highway leading to the airport its responsibilities, the management of passengers, coaches, buses, limousines, car parks, ferries and taxis at the public transport interchange is also within its reign. The Airport Ground Transportation Centre also has similar functions as the Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre in co-ordinating emergencies at the airport. To develop a co-ordinated management strategy, the Incident Detection and Diversion System has interface with the Car Park Management System, the Master Clock, the General Building Management System and the Airport Information System.

Special thanks to Ms Heather Tang and Tonya Kam of the Corporate Relations Division of the Airport Authority in arranging the visit on 30 June 2001 for us. We are also indebted to the vivid and comprehensive introduction from Dr Stephen Lam (Manager – Landside Operations), Mr Stanley Leung (Assistant Landside Duty Manager) and his team under the Airport Management Division and Mr Alan Cheung (Electronics Systems Maintenance Manager) of the Engineering & Maintenance Department. Thank you.

(More photos)

ITS World Congress 2001 – Our Participation by Ir Jason Wong

We have been invited by ITS Japan (formerly VERTIS) to take part in the coming 8^th ITS World Congress to be held in Sydney Australia this year from 30 September to 4 October 2001. To address this positively and be able to introduce ITS development in Hong Kong, we have arranged the following participation:

1. ITS-HK President or representatives will attend on behalf of ITS-HK.
2. Ir Dr Nelson Yung (ITS-HK) will be the moderator of a technical session on Detection Technologies.
3. Ir Jason Wong and Ir Dr Nelson Yung (ITS-HK) will present a special joint-paper titled "ITS Applications in Hong Kong", which describes the current ITS applications and R&D projects in Hong Kong.

In addition, ITS-HK has also assisted the Congress in arranging pre/post technical tours in Hong Kong for interested participants, who stopover in Hong Kong on their way to and from Australia.

Special Features

Demand Management and Institutional Arrangement in Hong Kong
– An Overview of ITS in Hong Kong (Part 3 of 3) Ir Toni Zen

- Part 1 How It Begins and Traffic Information
- Part 2 Highway and Urban Traffic Management

In the last two issues, the ITS development on Traffic Information and Traffic Management were discussed. This issue will focus on the demand management and institutional issues in Hong Kong.

Automatic Toll Collection has been introduced at bridges/tunnels for public use since August 1993. Automatic Toll Collection facilities are now provided at all paid bridges/tunnels. Over 160,000 tags have been issued and on average 37% of the vehicles that pass the bridges/tunnels use autotoll for payment. 200,000 to 250,000 transactions are recorded per day.

It has been suggested that the average travelling time between places will be displayed on Variable Message Signs at strategic locations. It is envisaged that only factual information will be provided and no suggestion on routes will be given. The complication of conflict of interest of tunnel/road operators can be avoided with this arrangement. Testing is currently being performed by the Transport Department of the HKSAR (TD) at the tunnels using video imaging as the detection device.

In the feasibility study on the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system carried out since March 1997, the single gantry Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) System and Vehicle Positioning System (VPS) technologies were found to be viable in the Hong Kong urban canyon even when mounted underneath existing footbridges and underpasses. However, since the economic downturn, the slow traffic growth does not justify the adoption of ERP in the next ten years.

The reliability of Global Positioning System (GPS) had also been studied by the academic and the private sector. However, GPS coverage in Hong Kong is only about 50% due to shadowing and multipath error induced by refraction. However, this could be rectified by differential GPS and dead reckoning. In extreme condition, dead reckoning was required for a continuous of 30 minutes (Source: Castle Intelligent Transportation System Ltd, July 2000). Nevertheless, the GPS Reference Station Network developed by the Lands Department of the HKSAR can reduce the inaccuracy to less than 1 centimetre. However, it is not open to the private market yet. More research in the adoption of GPS is being undertaken but its use in fleet management has already begun.

Electronic payment in public transport services is a norm in Hong Kong. The contactless smart card, Octopus, issued jointly by the major transportation operators for rail, buses, and ferries in 1994 has been extremely successful. 7 million cards have been issued since its launch, averaging 1 per every population in Hong Kong. The Octopus can now be used in photocopying machines, retail stores etc.

Private and Public Support

Hong Kong's ITS development has primarily been led by the public sector. However, in a forum held in June 2000, the Commissioner for Transport (C for T) has specifically called for the collaboration between the public and private sectors to provide real time and accurate transport information with ITS applications.

"The public demands reliable, accurate and timely transport information. The industry demands data infrastructure and real time transport information for ITS applications such as in-vehicle navigation and fleet management systems in which transport information and traffic conditions are made accessible within moving vehicles," said Mr Footman, C for T.

Due to the size of the local market, private investment in the ITS industry probably would not be as flourished as in many other countries. Anyhow, the studies undergoing should spin off more interests in this field and operators are beginning to see the benefits of ITS. The Hong Kong University (HKU) and HKUST have already set up their own ITS Laboratory. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on the other hand has set up a Navigation Research Laboratory. A Smart Card Resource Centre has also been set up at the HKUST. The private sector, has on its own accord, set up the Intelligent Transportation Systems - Hong Kong (ITSHK), which was inaugurated in October 2000.

Several fora had been organised by TD in the last two years and on 1 July 2000, the previous ERP Division of TD was renamed as the Intelligent Transport Division (iTD). It will continue to oversee government ITS initiatives, in particular, in Traffic Control and Surveillance System (TCSS) and Traffic Information System (TIS). The Traffic Control Division, on the other hand, manages the Traffic Management and Information Centre project as well as the Area Traffic Control Centres. Upon the approval of the funding of the HK$3.3 billion ITS initiatives, the ITS wheel will certainly spin at a more rapid pace in Hong Kong.

Acknowledgements

Ir T K Choi, Chief Engineer of iTD of HKSAR
Ir Richard Ko, Director, Hyder Consulting Limited, Consultant of the TMIC and ERP Feasibility Studies
Ir Julian Kwong, Senior Engineer, Scott Wilson (HK) Ltd, Consultant of the Tsing Ma Control Area TCSS and Penny's Bay Development TCSS
Dr HK Lo of the Civil Engineering Department of the HKUST
Ir KM Tsang, Chief Engineer of the Special Duties Division of TD, HKSAR (former Chief Engineer of the iTD of TD, HKSAR)
Ir Dr Nelson Yung of the ITS Laboratory at the HKU

Trolley Bus Feasibility Study completed

Commissioned by TD, the Study concludes that there are important technical and operational issues concerning trolleybus operation in busy urban areas and in tunnels which taken together, present important risks for introducing trolleybus operation in these areas. These issues include vertical clearance of overbridges and trolleybus speed, potential traffic delays, removal and relocation of hanging signs, maintenance of fire fighting access in the narrow streets of Hong Kong, and problems with the sitting of depots, traction poles, underground feeder cables, as well as financial viability. A fare premium of 24% to 65% is expected. (Source: June 19, 2001 Government website) (More)

More Local News (with courtesy of HKIE-YMC)

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