Logistics News

NSW trials truck friendly traffic lights

SCATS trial to check whether lights change alleviates congestion along major routes

 

Sydney traffic lights will be able to detect when heavy vehicles are approaching, staying green for longer to limit the number of times they have to stop, under a new system on trial in New South Wales.

More than 100 heavy vehicles will be equipped with technology that communicates with traffic lights in the three month trial of the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS), which started on June 2.

The traffic lights in question are along 40km of freight routes including Pennant Hills Road, Parramatta Rd and King George Rd – with the trial to check whether giving the heavy vehicles priority helps alleviate traffic congestion.

The technology is currently used to grant priority to late-running buses along the routes.

NSW minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey says initiatives such as these could go a long way to easing congestion – and could be extended to emergency vehicles.

“This trial will detect a heavy vehicle approaching traffic lights and provide more green time, which will hopefully show us how we can ease delays for all motorists,” Pavey says.

“The opportunities are vast, with Sydney’s freight set to double over the next 40 years and increase by 25 per cent in regional NSW, we have to look outside the box.”

 

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