Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has started phase II of its ITS improvement and expansion project to cover 100% of the emirate’s main roads and adopt the latest intelligent technologies and software.

This phase will bring in technologies such as the cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS), expanding the use of ITS, and conduct a benchmarking study with leading cities in the field of transport.

“Phase II of the intelligent traffic systems project will expand the coverage of the main road network from the current 60% to 100% by 2026,” said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA director general. “Accordingly, the length of the road network covered by the system will extend from 480km to 710km. This expansion will enhance road network management and traffic flow through better monitoring, faster response times to incidents, and providing instant information to the public about the condition of the road network via new variable message signs (VMSs) and smart applications to help distribute traffic effectively. The project enhances personal mobility by integrating modern and advanced technologies and self-driving transport thanks to providing a comprehensive ITS infrastructure designed to meet current and future needs.”

RTA (www.rta.ae) manages traffic in the emirate through the Dubai Intelligent Traffic Systems Center at Al Barsha, one of the largest and most sophisticated traffic control centres globally. The centre employs technologies and traffic management systems to meet Dubai’s expansion and make it one of the world’s leading cities in ITS, alongside Singapore and Seoul.

The centre is a hub for managing traffic in Dubai. It has an integrated technology platform that uses artificial intelligence, big data, IoT, communication systems and various monitoring devices to provide smart services and gather important information. The centre oversees Dubai’s current and future road networks and maintains a 100% connection to the traffic lights control system.

It also features an advanced traffic control system called iTraffic, enhanced by AI technologies and big data analysis tools to support decision-making. The centre’s responsibilities include ensuring the smooth flow of traffic, managing incidents and emergencies, monitoring operational systems, and reporting malfunctions.

The initial phase of the project included the addition of 116 traffic surveillance cameras, bringing the total to 311 cameras, the installation of 100 incident monitoring and vehicle counting devices, increasing the total to 227 devices, installing 112 VMSs that relay real time information about road conditions, fitting 115 travel time and speed measurement devices, setting up 17 weather sensor stations, and constructing 660km of electric power lines and a fibre optic network with a total length of 820km.

“The project has improved incident monitoring by 63%, reduced response times by 30%, enhanced traffic flow, increased traffic management efficiency, and reduced journey times by 20% through VMSs,” said Al Tayer. “These results were facilitated by using VMS, enhanced linkage and integration with the Enterprise Command & Control Centre and the Dubai Police General HQ.”