By Jel Santos
A forum on Intelligent Transportation System and Smart City Components will be hosted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on May 31 at the SMX Convention Center Hall 4, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
MB file -- MMDA chairman Danilo Lim
The forum will focus on the wonders of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) aimed at helping ease the traffic in Metro Manila.
According to MMDA, the forum will start at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 1 p.m.
MMDA chairman Danilo Lim will welcome around 100 participants during the opening ceremony.
Dr. Kim Wan Jib of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, South Korea, will present Seoul’s Transportation Operation and Information Service (TOPIS), an integrated traffic management center that operates and manages the capital’s traffic situation, along with its challenges and achievements since its inception.
TOPIS is the "control tower" of Seoul City's comprehensive traffic system. It gathers a wide variety of traffic information from Bus Management System, current traffic situation from Transport Card System, and other sources.
Real-time information are processed and provided to traffic facility users and public transportation information managers operating buses, subway trains, parking facilities and etc.
As such, the forum will also cover Smart City Projects and Strategies of Seoul, South Korea’s capital and largest metropolis recognized as one of the world’s smartest, most connected cities.
Technologies that make Seoul among the smartest cities in the world will be presented during the event.
The upcoming forum is also expected to be a place of gathering for officials of the MMDA, House of Representatives, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Metro Manila local government units and other concerned government agencies to exchange ideas and information on pressing issues in Metro Manila.
“We are now looking into new and innovative solutions to address Metro Manila's growing transportation needs and traffic problems brought by the increasing number of vehicles. May this forum serve as venue for us to promote exchanges in finding new ideas and well-designed technology tools that can benefit government agencies and the public,” Lim said.
Lim, who is tasked to deliver metro-wide services to 16 cities and one municipality in the National Capital Region, is also pushing for the creation of Mega Manila that will carry a new charter of development and governance.
The agency head said Metro Manila's road traffic congestion has been plaguing the capital region for decades.
MMDA said the reasons behind the traffic problems affecting Metro Manila are: increasing number of private vehicles, inadequate road infrastructure, and lack of efficient public transportation vehicles.
A recent Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study showed that the Philippines is losing P3.5 billion a day due to worsening traffic in metropolis.