Feb 7 2011
The South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) will introduce an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) for freeways, whereby technologies will be used to manage traffic, and to provide road users with information about traffic conditions on a real time basis.
EFKON Group, one of the worldwide leading companies in intelligent transportation systems and tolling solutions, announces that its subsidiary Tollink has been awarded a contract to install and thereafter operate an intelligent transportation system on freeways in South Africa for five years. It is the largest ITS project in this emerging country to date and will launch services for road users in 2012. Tollink, located in Pretoria, South Africa, is a specialist company in tolling solutions and leader of the Teti consortium, which has been awarded this contract. The contract value for this project is worth approx. € 85 million.
"This contract is a big success for our team in South Africa. With this project, the EFKON Group will strengthen its position as a leading provider of ITS solutions", says Dr. Raimund Pammer, founder and CTO of EFKON AG.
The focus of this new intelligent transportation system is to optimise the use of civil infrastructure. This implies reduced delays and improved safety on freeways. The use of special cameras and traffic sensors will allow the observation of traffic conditions and identification of any potentially dangerous situations that may occur (such as debris on a roadway or unsafe working conditions at a work zone). The use of traveller information dissemination technologies such as Variable Message Signs, SMS messages, e-mail messages and a website will be offered. The purpose of these technologies is to warn travellers as quickly as possible, and in doing so reduce the delay that the travellers might have experienced without prior knowledge.
Source: http://www.strabag.com/