We will apply this to optimize the work of traffic lights,
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta Transportation Service will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology to monitor traffic lights as part of an effort to manage traffic flow on a number of roads in the capital city.

"We will apply this to optimize the work of traffic lights," head of the Jakarta Transportation Service, Syafrin Liputo, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Currently, trials of the AI technology are being carried out on roads that connect the Central Jakarta and East Jakarta areas, namely Imam Bonjol street, Diponegoro street, Proklamasi street, Pramuka Street, and Pemuda Street.

If the trials in the corridor are successful, the agency will expand the technology’s coverage to more roads.

"If there is an improvement in traffic performance, we will expand the area," Liputo added.

Since the end of 2022, the Jakarta regional government has partnered with multinational search engine company Google to analyze traffic movement using artificial intelligence.

Liputo said he hopes that Google's large database would help reduce congestion in the capital city.

The Jakarta Transportation Service has devised several measures to reduce traffic congestion, including implementing an odd-even vehicle plates policy, a plan to close 27 U-turn points in Jakarta in June 2023, and electronic paid roads (ERP).

Earlier, Jakarta Regional Police Office (Polda Metro Jaya) reported that in the first quarter of 2022, the level of congestion in Jakarta reached around 48 percent.

According to Polda Metro Jaya traffic director, Senior Commissioner Latif Usman, the congestion index in Jakarta is currently estimated to have crossed 50 percent as the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled and restrictions on community activities (PPKM) have been lifted.

The number of vehicles passing in Jakarta is estimated to reach around 22 million units per day, he said.

"In 2019, the congestion index in Jakarta was 53 percent. If it is already above 50 percent, it is really worrying," he said during a working meeting with Commission B of the Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD DKI) on January 24, 2023.

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Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Resinta S
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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