Smart transport system offers fast track through gridlock

Hong Kong is seen as an ideal place to introduce hi-tech solutions to congestion

Hong Kong's public transport network of buses, minibuses, taxis, the Airport Express and railways are the envy of the region, yet the city's roads still operate one mishap away from total gridlock.

Check out traffic through Central and the reclamation work in the harbour if this observation seems misguided.

But while the Hong Kong metropolis appears to be bursting at the seems, the city is an ideal environment for testing and implementing hi-tech solutions to congestion problems, according to a local firm specialising in 'telematics', or the business of deploying wireless communication devices inside vehicles.

'We are approaching the point in Hong Kong where building your way out of the problem is no longer an option,' said Andy Green, chief technical officer at KG Intelligent Systems.

'You can only build so many roads. You can only provide so much infrastructure. And ultimately, unless the whole city is going to become a transport network, you are eventually stuck unless you find an alternative.'

Last year, KG completed a trial with Citybus on route 97 from Central to Lei Tung that included smart signs to give passengers on buses and waiting at stops real-time information on route destinations, connection details and arrival times.