SMART TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SAVES CONGESTED HONG KONG

Transcription

1 SMART TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SAVES CONGESTED HONG KONG Mandy K. M. HO

2 Executive Summary The Castrol's Magnatec Stop-Start index, which compares traffic conditions in 78 international cities, indicated that Hong Kong was one of the top 20 cities with the worst traffic in the world in Traffic jam has been a perennial problem in Hong Kong it is omnipresent during the peak hours: on the road and under the ground. According to the report from the Transport Department of the HKSAR Government 2, currently there were 699,540 licensed vehicles in Hong Kong in 2014, increased by 35% when compared with 516,782 in However, in response to the growing number of vehicles, the Government faces difficulty in expanding road capacity, especially in the heavily built-up areas, due to topological constraints. As a result, traffic congestion becomes a norm. In today's fast-paced world, time is money and efficiency is the key to success. Hong Kong residents are in urgent need of innovative ways to improve transportation network efficiency within the constraints of the infrastructure. This report aims to suggest two innovative solutions to relieve the traffic congestion and enhance the transportation system in Hong Kong to a SMART level : Saving time.multiple winners.accessible.reliable.technology-driven. 1 bp.com, (2016). [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Feb. 2016]. 2 td.gov.hk, (2016). [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 3 Greenpower.org.hk, (2016). Green Power. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 1

3 Table of Contents Executive Summary Background Two Major Congestion Problems in Hong Kong Major Causes of Traffic Congestion Increasing Number of Vehicles Limited Land Available to Provide Additional Capacity Shortage of Parking Spaces Key Impacts of Traffic Congestion Innovative Solutions Definition of SMART Transportation System Three Innovative Solutions Easy Entry Application (For Non-Drivers) Payment & Parking Easy (PPE) System (For Drivers) Conclusion

4 1. Background 1.1 Two Major Congestion Problems in Hong Kong Traffic congestions are common at the peak hours, referring to 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm. The following two frequently congested sites are targeted in this report with specialized solutions designed for them: Tunnels Mass Transit Railway (MTR) With a daily patronage of vehicles, Cross Harbour Tunnel is regarded as one of the most congested tunnels in the world. Passengers usually have to wait for more than one train at rush hours. It was predicted that passengers have to wait three more trains in Island Line, or at most nine more trains in Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan Lines in Major Causes of Traffic Congestion Increasing Number of Vehicles According to the report from the Transport Department 4, currently there were 699,540 licensed vehicles in Hong Kong in 2014, increased by 35% when compared with 516,782 in An excessive number of vehicles overload the roads and traffic jam is resulted. 4 td.gov.hk, (2016). [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 5 Greenpower.org.hk, (2016). Green Power. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 3

5 1.2.2 Limited Land Available to Provide Additional Capacity Due to limited land supply, there is increasing difficulty in providing new roads to enhance traffic capacity. As a result, the growth rate of road length of 0.4% p.a. would be much lower than that of total vehicle fleet at about 3.4% p.a. in This proves that offering new roads is not a sustainable solution to ease the congestion Shortage of Parking Spaces In 2015, 509,207 licensed private cars had to compete for 24,100 government-owned public parking spaces and 197,000 public parking spaces in commercial, residential and industrial buildings, indicating the severe shortage of parking spaces in Hong Kong. As reported by IBM in 2011, searching for parking spaces counted for over 30% of traffic in a city, resulting in traffic congestion 7. Among the three root causes, traffic congestion can be relieved by reducing time needed to search for a parking space. A tailor-made solution is then designed and introduced in Part in this report. 6 td.gov.hk, (2016). [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 7 Www-03.ibm.com, (2016). IBM Global Parking Survey: Drivers Share Worldwide Parking Woes. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 4

6 1.3 Key Impacts of Traffic Congestion Journey Delay Serious Pollutions Economic Impacts Poor Health Blocking Emergency Vehicles (1) Journey Delay The Government pointed out that average vehicle speed has declined by 40% and 22% respectively on an expressway (Lung Cheung Road) and a commuter artery (Waterloo Road) within 5 years 8. Bus is one of the victims, for example, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) recorded lengthened journey times in 99% of its routes by an average 17% 9. Varying journey delay times increase the difficulty not only for people, but also the system, to estimate the travelling time. The Journey Time Indication System (JTIS) on Hong Kong Island was complained for displaying inaccurate estimated journey time, with at most deviation of 11 minutes from the actual journey time, due to unexpected changes in traffic conditions. In consequence of unpredictable delay, people waste time in the congestions, they are not able to manage their time efficiently, and may result in economic loss and poor health, which will be elaborated in P.6. (2) Serious Pollutions Longer trip time means that more pollutants 10, for example nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and air toxics, will be generated due to roadside emissions during traffic jams, which leads to poor air quality in Hong Kong. It will also trigger smog and acid rain formation, which may lead to several negative impacts, like respiratory problems, lung damage and corrosion in buildings. Other than air pollution, noise from vehicles causes disturbance to local residents. 8 South China Morning Post, (2016). Don't let road congestion choke Hong Kong's development. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 9 Transport International Holdings Limited, (2013). Transport International Holdings Limited 2013 Annual Report. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 10 Data & Statistics Environmental Protection Department", Epd.gov.hk, [Online]. Available: [Accessed: 14 Apr. 2016]. 5

7 (3) Economic Impacts Although there is no study about the economic loss due to traffic congestion in Hong Kong, the United States has suffered from the total cost of traffic congestion of US$121 billion in One of the major reasons is that employee productivity is greatly reduced after encountering traffic jams. (4) Poor Health Traffic jams are harmful to both human physical and mental health: Physical illnesses: Exhaust gases from vehicles cause damage to our respiratory system, affect lung function and lead to cardiovascular problem. Mental illnesses: A research identified that the major sources of anxiety among employees in Hong Kong are coming from traffic congestion and crowded public transportation systems 12. Daily irritations, for instance trapping in long traffic queues, can also lead to mental problems like traffic stress syndrome. (5) Blocking Emergency Vehicles As stated in performance pledge of the Fire Services Department 13, it is committed to arriving built-up areas within 6 minutes from the building fire calls and within 12 minutes after receiving the emergency ambulance calls. Since every minute counts, unpredictable traffic jams leading to few minute delays may already disrupt their schedules and cause delays in conveying patients to hospital. 11 Media.navigatored.com, (2016). [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 12 Enterprise Innovation Asia's Premier Business and Technology Publication, (2016). Traffic congestion top cause of employee stress, declining productivity. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 13 Hkfsd.gov.hk, (2016). Performance Pledge. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 6

8 2. Innovative Solutions 2.1 Definition of SMART Transportation System The three solutions proposed in this report aim to upgrade the current transportation system to a level of SMART by taking the advantages of technology and innovative ideas: 1. Shorten journey time and waiting time greatly Saving Time 2. Better time management 3. Increase efficiency 1. Citizens & Drivers Improve quality of life and better health after alleviating air pollution Multiple Winners 2. Operators & Government Lower the labor and operational cost, as well as promote economic growth 3. Environment: Reduce air pollution from vehicle emissions Accessible 1. Easy to use and handle for all walks of life 2. Believe to be popularized easily and widely adopted due to low user cost 1. High accuracy and low fault rate Reliable 2. High level of system security 3. Secure its confidence level with the support from law- Technology Driven 1. Make use of big data for analysis and system improvement 2. Employ mobile applications for operation 3. Simple equipment for easy maintenance and operation 7

9 2.2 Three Innovative Solutions Based on the principal of SMART, the innovative solutions designed for crowded MTR, tunnel tolling, and parking space problem will be introduced: Easy Entry Application (For Non-Drivers) The market share of public transport journeys of MTR in Hong Kong has been increasing. According to average daily passenger journey as at December , MTR ranked as the most popular transport option in the region with the market share of the franchised public transport market of 43%. The solution proposed below is specially designed to cater for the need of non-drivers in the congested MTR stations. (1) Current Situation It was observed that between 6pm and 7pm, 20 to 50 people on average queued outside each of the train doors on the crowded platform at Admiralty station 15. Most of them had to wait for more than one train, so their journey times were lengthened and the potential delays were hard to estimate. Under the near-capacity operation and before the commission of new lines, there is pressing need to shorten the delay time and help passengers to the journey time more accurately. (2) Objective 1. To provide passengers with more accurate waiting time estimation for their better time management and journey planning 2. To shorten the waiting time on the platform and help passengers get into the train faster by knowing the loading status of both train and platform 14 Transport Department of the Hong Kong Government, (2015). Distribution of Average Daily Public Transport Passenger Journeys by Mode. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 15 South China Morning Post, (2016). 100 million tourists by 2023 prediction sparks fears the MTR will not cope. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 8

10 (3) How to do? 1. On Train Step 1 By making use of the infra-red passenger counting sensors installed at each train door (Figure 1), number of passengers in each train car would be evaluated accurately. Figure 1 Step 2 Through the short-range transmission along the train and the continuous update using 3G network to servers, data collected would be manipulated (Figure 2) Figure 2 Step 3 Congestion level in each train car would be shown in the passenger information display system (Figure 3) at the platform, announced in the public address system in the station, as well as the mobile application. Figure 3 9

11 2. On Platform Step 1 The infra-red passenger counting sensors installed at each platform can estimate the number of trains passengers have to wait. Step 2 Through the short-range transmission along the platform and the continuous update using 3G network to servers, data collected would be manipulated and hence more accurate waiting time would be estimated. Step 3 Congestion level in each train car would be shown in the passenger information display system at the platform, announced in the public address system in the station, as well as the mobile application (Figure 4). More accurate waiting time estimated using the real-time congestion levels on each of the train car and platform Figure 4 Notes: 1. The congested train car will be highlighted in red, less congested train car in orange and relatively empty train will be in yellow. (Same for the platform crowdedness status) 10

12 (5) Benefits The Easy Entry Application achieves the goal of SMART and offers various benefits to different parties: MTR 1. Fully utilized train space resource 2. Increased customer satisfaction 3. Easy maintenance due to simple infrastructure General Public 1. Better time management and journey planning because passengers can estimate the average journey time accurately at rush hour and decide which transportation would better suit them 2. Reduced waiting time by selecting a less crowded car The Government 1. Encouraging the use of green and mass transportation by the enhanced customer service offered by MTR 11

13 2.2.2 Payment & Parking Easy (PPE) System (For Drivers) As at the end of June 2015, 71% of all vehicles in Hong Kong were private cars 17. The second solution proposed in this essay is to cater for the need of drivers in easing the traffic congestion problem by enabling drivers to handle tunnel payment and parking space searching efficiently. Part 1: Payment (1) Current Situation Although Hong Kong currently adopts Electronic Tolling Collection (ETC) system for tunnel tolling, most of the tunnel entrances require drivers to slow down for tolling at the toll booth gate. In view that Autotoll needs deposit as pre-requisite, most of the local drivers still prefer adopting stop-and-pay approach. As a result, there are always long queues for paying tolls at peak hours and traffic congestions result. (2) Objective To enhance operation efficiency and ease traffic congestion by eliminating time of collecting fee from drivers at the toll booths. (3) How to do? Stage 1 Mobile Application Installation 1. Install PPE mobile application (Figure 5) 2. Register accounts in the application for security checking 3. Input or transfer money into this account for payment in the later stage Stage 2 Data Collection (Figure 6) 1. The car approaches the tunnel and within 1,500m from the signal transmitter installed on the tunnel 2. Mobile tower acquires user s information from the mobile application and send back to central database 3. At the same time, CCTV captures number plate of the car and send back to central database Stage 3 Data Verification 1. The central database of the operator checks whether the information from mobile application and 17 The Hong Kong Government, (2015). Hong Kong: The Facts [Online] Available at: [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016]. 12

14 CCTV matches Stage 4 Payment 1. If yes, fee will be deduced from the user s mobile application account 2. If no, staff will handle the case in person Notes: 1. Drivers have to carry phones with them during driving. For those who did not pay after passing the tunnel by the means of offing the phone or without carrying the phone, they will receive heavy penalty. 2. If the car owner would like to lend the car to others, both owner and lender have to fill in a simple form in their mobile applications for easy verification. 3. Drivers can link their RTS mobile application accounts to their bank accounts for payment. It is user s responsibility to keep the account with sufficient money for payment, otherwise penalty will be received. 4. Few toll booths will retain to serve users that do not use smart phones. 13

15 Hi, Ka Man Balance: $50 Personal Information Payment Record Register by entering: 1. User s name 2. Hong Kong Identity Card number 3. Registration plate number 4. Driving license number Parking NOW! Car Lending Form Figure 5 Figure 6 14

16 (4) Extra Value Added Services Additional Features 1. Dynamic Tolling Pricing: The RTS can vary the rate of charge according to the congestion level, for example higher charge when the road get congested, to divert the traffic. The RTS mobile application will notify users the latest pricing. 2. Journey Time Estimation Display By collecting information of incoming vehicles, RTS can estimate the current congestion level and hence the expected journey time for drivers' reference. 3. Big Data Analysis Through analyzing the information collected, traffic patterns along the day and special conditions like extreme weather can be observed, which are useful for improving the dynamic tolling price system, as well as future transportation system planning. (5) Benefits General Public 3. No need to stop for tolling 4. Better time management due to less traffic congestion and journey delay 5. No extra device to be installed in cars, unlike the transponder in ETC currently adopted 6. Easy deployment for public because of the handy mobile application and no extra device required 7. Driver-dependent payment that facilitates car lending The Government / Tunnel Operators 1. Reduced cost on manpower and operation 2. Less cost of infrastructure when compared with RFID based tolling system that will be employed in India 3. Simple installation for tunnel operators because of few equipment needed 4. High identification accuracy 5. Extra value added services, for example dynamic tolling pricing, which will help further relieve traffic 15

17 Part 2: Parking (1) Current Situation Limited parking space in Hong Kong does not only contribute to serious illegal parking problems, but also frequent traffic jams when drivers circulate on the street seeking vacant parking spaces. (2) Objective To shorten time needed for seeking vacant parking space. (3) How to do? Stage 1 Mobile Application Installation 1. Install PPE mobile application 2. Register accounts in the application by entering user s name, Hong Kong Identity Card number, registration plate number and driving license number for security checking 3. Input or transfer money into this account for payment in the later stage Stage 2 Vacant Spaces Indication 1. CCTV is used to record the real-time image of the parking spaces 2. Image processing technology is adopted to identify the vacant parking spaces 3. Vacant spaces are indicated in Parking NOW! of the mobile application (Figure 5) Stage 3 Parking 1. Mobile tower acquires user s information from the mobile application and send back to central database 2. At the same time, CCTV captures number plate of the car and send back to central database 3. The central database checks whether the information from mobile application and CCTV matches Stage 4 Payment 1. If yes, fee will be deduced from the user s mobile application account and user can enjoy the parking space 2. If no, staff will handle the case in person 16

18 Notes: 1. If the car owner would like to lend the car to others, both owner and lender have to fill in a simple form in their mobile applications for easy verification. 2. Drivers can link their PPE mobile application accounts to their bank accounts for payment. It is user s responsibility to keep the account with sufficient money for payment, otherwise penalty will be received. 3. Few payment booths will retain to serve users that do not use smart phones. (4) Benefits General Public 1. Fully utilize parking space resource by helping drivers to find vacant parking spaces 2. Ease traffic congestion problem 3. Reduce illegal parking as drivers no longer cannot find suitable parking space 4. Easy maintenance due to simple infrastructure The Government and Car Park Operators 1. Shorten searching time for a suitable parking spaces 2. Reduce time needed for car park spacing payment 3. Better time management due to less traffic congestion and journey delay 4. No extra device to be installed in cars 5. Easy deployment for public because of the handy mobile application and no extra device required 6. Driver-dependent payment that facilitates car lending 3. Conclusion The problem of traffic congestion in Hong Kong is identified, so two innovative solutions, Easy Entry Application and Payment and Parking Easy System, are proposed for drivers and non-drivers respectively to enhance the transportation system in Hong Kong to a SMART level. 17