Electronic eyes to monitor traffic offences

PLANS for an electronic system to aid the enforcement and monitoring of traffic in Brunei Darussalam have been set with the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) looking towards technology to assist in traffic control.

Responding to an e-mail interview, the RBPF Public Relations Unit said that with the tremendous increase of total vehicles every year, the police force is now in the process of acquiring this system.

At this stage, the system to be utilised by the RBPF has yet to be confirmed as it remains at its infancy stage. However, the new system is anticipated to be along the lines of an automated system.

The statement from the authorities went on to say that soon all traffic lights will be monitored by the RBPF to enhance traffic flow monitoring and also road safety offences.

Currently in Brunei, the traffic lights are controlled and monitored by the Public Works Department. The system in place is controlled via a centre where existing cameras are responsible for monitoring the traffic lights and junctions.

An operator on duty will cycle through the system and is able to make adjustments accordingly to ease any congestion experienced on that specific area of Brunei's roads.

Brunei has approximately 13 cameras that are in use to monitor the traffic in areas of the country. The cameras, however, are not for enforcement and currently only aids in maintenance and monitoring.

According to a source from Singapore who spoke on condition of anonymity, systems used for enforcement are typically different from monitoring systems.

Hardware such as cameras used for enforcement are powerful so as to provide identification of vehicles or individuals who commit offences, said the specialist.

Cameras for monitoring congestion may not necessarily provide sharper details required for enforcement, but would be adequate to assess traffic conditions such as congestion or whether timing of lights may need to be modified, he added.

For Brunei, an automated system could prove to be one of the biggest aids in curbing the high rates of accidents, as the case with other countries. Motorists who are aware of cameras being used to enforce speeding limits is such an example, with drivers commonly slowing down to avoid being fined. The Brunei Times