Kaohsiung utilizing tech to curb light-rail accidents

Transportation authorities in Kaohsiung are creating technology-based techniques to curb site visitors accidents brought on by pedestrians and automobiles intruding on town’s light-rail monitor, native officers mentioned on Friday.

Earlier within the day, a motorist was severely injured after making an unlawful proper flip and driving onto the light-rail tracks close to Ersheng Highway earlier than colliding with a prepare.

The crash was the thirteenth this yr involving the light-rail system in Kaohsiung, with most brought on by drivers making unlawful turns, metropolis officers mentioned.

Consequently, Kaohsiung has been working with the Nationwide Growth Council and Chunghwa Telecom Co to introduce 5G and synthetic intelligence of things-based expertise to foretell intrusions.

The expertise applies mild detection and ranging to assemble info on site visitors patterns close to the light-rail system to set off alerts underneath sure circumstances, the Kaohsiung Metropolis Authorities mentioned.

A trial mission is working at intersections the place the sunshine rail approaches key site visitors arteries, reminiscent of Banchao Highway, Jhongshan Highway and Qianzhen Highway, it mentioned.

As a part of the mission, digital billboards have been put in in these areas that anticipate when drivers are more likely to flip onto a light-rail monitor and warn them not to take action, town mentioned.

Trains have been outfitted with an onboard alert system that warns drivers of harmful conditions whereas the prepare is shifting, it mentioned.

Town has additionally redesigned and reinstalled site visitors lights on roads close to the light-rail community in order that inexperienced lights have arrows displaying the instructions through which automobiles are permitted to journey, hopefully channeling them away from light-rail tracks, town mentioned.