Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 21/Jan 10:16

Towards better traffic management systems

DR STEPHEN RAMROOP THE COUNTRY is not ready for a major disaster or hazard impact. Recently, I asked a rhetorical question, “Are we ready for a regional disaster such as armed conflict?”, hoping that the relevant government entities may have contacted me for a possible clarification and guidance in this regard. However, the short answer is no, we are not ready. Some say no country can ever be ready, but the issue is not about being totally ready, but coping with the problem and how great the impact is going to affect a significant part of our population and what damage it can cause before any outside help arrives. Clearly, the aim will be to reduce the effect of the impact as much as possible, so that when help arrives we as a country can facilitate better integration and deployment of resources because our key services and functions are reasonably operational and not destroyed completely. We must have the ability to ensure that our critical infrastructures are at least up and running by proper business continuity planning and execution prior to the incidents. These are: energy installations and electrical grids, oil and gas pipelines, water, communication, transportation, financial services, healthcare and public health, food and agriculture, government facilities and services, and military readiness. In order to achieve a satisfactory degree of readiness for any disaster, the country’s national response framework must be reviewed, tested and monitored regularly for contemporary requirements. Each organisation, entity agency, ministry, association or group in the public, private or civil society with a responsibility must have their business continuity, emergency operations, crisis communication, evacuation and egress, mass casualty incident plans properly tested and operational. Recently we have seen two traffic incidents that caused severe problems for commuters and affected a significant segment of our population. Excessively long delays on the road have caused people to miss their clinic appointments for cancer, diabetes, post-operative dressings; many have missed their flights and hundreds sat in vehicles frustrated and mentally exhausted, thirsty and even hungry. Children have been in some of the vehicles needing baby food and strapped in car seats for over six hours. This is a significant indicator in disaster risk management assessment and measurement of disaster readiness. Imagine an earthquake that strikes instead at a similar time. This traffic congestion would not be isolated on one highway; it will be on many of our major highways. What is the national plan for those people affected in this instance? Are there traffic solutions? Of course there are, and the problem is that it is not a police responsibility alone; it is multi-sectoral co-ordination that is required. It starts with knowledge of the overall problem, and this is called situational awareness. In other words, it starts with the National Operations Centre (NOC). The NOC is not supposed to be for only crime-fighting. The lesson here is to transform from normal operations to an emergency state. The normal operations, practices, standards, policies, enforcement of laws and regulations, and systems must be at least satisfactory before the need to scale up for a disaster situation. Clearly they were not when the police conducted roadblocks and with the 15-vehicle smash-up, which caused massive traffic pile-up with all of the attendant consequences as noted above. What can be done? Below are some solutions (AI Generated, 2026). For 2026, traffic management systems recommended for police roadblocks on highways focus on integrating high-visibility physical barriers with advanced intelligent transportation systems to enhance safety and minimise congestion. I am positive that our ministers of transport, homeland security, works and infrastructure, defence, local government, and communication, IT and AI institutions and divisions are working together to rapidly implement these as I am sure that over the last ten years they would have already been working on these solutions (after all, the new government only started a few months ago): Automated smart technologies Smart roadblocks: Modern checkpoints increasingly use blocks equipped with sensors and connectivity that provide real-time data to traffic centres. Unified ANPR platforms: Advanced automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems are recommended to automatically cross-check plates against databases for high-risk vehicles before they reach the manual inspection point. AI-driven analytics: Systems like PTV Optima or Centracs Mobility use AI to predict congestion up to 60 minutes in advance, allowing police to adjust roadblock timing or location proactively. Drone integration: Unmanned aerial vehicles are recommended for real-time aerial surveillance of the queue to identify secondary accidents or potential security breaches. Active traffic management strategies Dynamic lane use control: Electronic signs are used to close lanes sequentially and merge traffic well in advance of the physical roadblock. Queue warning systems: Recommended to prevent rear-end collisions, these involve portable variable message signs placed approximately one mile and 1,500 feet upstream of the roadblock. Variable speed limits: Reducing speeds incrementally (eg, from 65 mph to 45 mph, then 25 mph) helps prevent panic braking as drivers approach the stop. Operational standard practices Rolling roadblocks: For temporary closures (eg, debris removal), "blocking/pacing vehicles" travel side-by-side at 20-30 mph to create a gap in traffic without bringing it to a full stop. Safety zones: High-speed highway blocks must include a designated "safety zone" where suspect vehicles can be pulled off the travel portion of the roadway without inhibiting flow. High-visibility equipment: Standard recommendations include retroreflective cones placed at 15-foot intervals, arrow boards, and patrol cars with high-intensity lighting positioned downstream of shadow vehicles. Communication: 2026 protocols emphasise V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication to send roadblock alerts directly to in-vehicle navigation systems or apps like Waze and Google Maps. For traffic accidents, etc, the system is much the same. I recommend that the NOC be immediately reconfigured and must include the ODPM and agencies that we had during the period 2012-2015. Use of barriers to block off the scene has helped in minor fender-bender incidents, bodies, etc, as much of the congestion is due to motorists slowing down on both sides of the highway to catch a glimpse of the accidents. Crisis communications, use of social media and alerting messages, change-of-plans recommendations for incoming motorists, use of alternative routes and welfare assistance for stranded motorists without water, food, medicine and baby formula, etc would also be necessary and can be a private sector, Red Cross or other, responsibility facilitated by the Defence Force, the police or municipal authorities in these instances. Remember, in a disaster like an earthquake it will be all over the country. Dr Stephen Ramroop is a former CEO of the ODPM The post Towards better traffic management systems appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.