Journey time indicator at northbound Canal Rd Flyover activated tomorrow

The on-site Journey Time Indicator System at Canal Road Flyover northbound (near the North Portal of Aberdeen Tunnel) will enter service tomorrow (December 7), giving motorists a reliable way to calculate their travel times when crossing the harbour from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon.

"Tomorrow, the Transport Department will activate its second set of journey time indicators," a spokesman for the department said. "The first one was commissioned at Gloucester Road eastbound, outside the Revenue Tower, in June this year.

"With the journey times provided, motorists can decide which of the cross harbour routes to Kowloon from Hong Kong is best for them.

"The journey times on display are calculated from the locations of the indicators to the Kowloon exits at the tunnel toll plaza. They will be updated every five minutes, or more frequently."

The system features data acquisition, a communications network, a remote on-site LED display and a Central Control Centre. Apart from detection cameras to collect traffic data, the system has in-vehicle Global Positing System (GPS) units installed on 82 buses to provide GPS data for analysis.

Journey times to Kowloon through the Cross Harbour Tunnel, the Eastern Harbour Crossing and the Western Harbour Crossing will be shown round the clock on the indicators in green, amber or red.

For routes through the Cross Harbour Tunnel, the colour ranges are:

	Green : 10 minutes or below
	Amber : 11 to 20 minutes
	Red : above 20 minutes

For routes through the Eastern/Western Harbour Crossings, the colour ranges are:

	Green : 20 minutes or below
	Amber : 21 to 40 minutes
	Red : above 40 minutes

The indicator will show a "Very Serious Congestion" sign or a "Tunnel Closed" sign when necessary.

To comment on the Journey Time Indicator System, please call the Government hotline, 1823, or contact the Intelligent Transport Division by fax at 2845 7489 or by email at jtis@td.gov.hk.

Ends/Saturday, December 6, 2003