IJM this morning launched its Smart Highway Traffic Control Centre at the Sungai Besi Expressway‘s (Besraya) Loke Yew toll plaza lay-by. The centre uses technology such as AI, data analytics and the internet of things (IoT) to enhance its real-time traffic monitoring across IJM’s Besraya, New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and Kajang-Seremban (LEKAS) highways.
Based on Globalcomm Solutions’ (an IJM subsidiary) HyperLane technology, the centre monitors traffic on those highways via 144 CCTVs, 87 video incident detection systems (VIDS), 35 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) scanners and 22 variable message signs (VMS). Data is linked to the Malaysian Highway Authority‘s (LLM) traffic management centre, which integrates 873 CCTVs and 278 VMS nationwide.
The AI-enabled system has a very wide detection scope, encompassing congestion monitoring, pedestrians on the highway, early flood signs, liquid spillage, potholes, rubbish dumping, vehicles driving or reversing against traffic, illegal lane-changing (like across a painted island) and vehicles on the hard shoulder or parked where they shouldn’t. It can even detect illegal advertising banners/posters and count the number of vehicles by class.
Needless to say, this avalanche of data (immediate too) can lead to safer highways through predictive analytics, early detection and reduced emergency response times (as quick as 8-10 minutes, which is 33% faster than before, according to IJM). The centre is also supported by Guard Expert Pro, a smart highway-patrolling management system developed in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Even vehicle speeds are tracked, and when asked during the press conference, an IJM official said that while the data is not linked in real time to law enforcement at the moment, the concessionaire will work with the police where necessary to maintain highway safety.
“Every day, approximately six million vehicles use the Peninsular Malaysian highway network. There are currently 34 tolled highways, spanning 2,151 km, operated by 28 concessionaires. With the increasing number of vehicles and consumer needs, highways must evolve from being just physical infrastructure to smart mobility ecosystems that are safer, smoother and more efficient.
“The government, via the works ministry, is committed to accelerating the implementation of intelligent transport systems (ITS). This will be driven by the Malaysia ITS Roadmap 2030, encompassing AI, data analytics, IoT, dynamic lane management, real-time journey information and integrated traffic management centres,” works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said in his speech.
Data from LLM’s Malaysian Highway Road Accident Database System (MHROADS) reveal that out of the 26,675 accidents recorded on the country’s tolled highways last year (including 839 deaths), 85.4% were caused by human error and the rest by vehicular and environmental factors.
Still, Nanta lauded IJM’s efforts and encouraged higher AI and digital technology adoption amongst highway concessionaires to improve safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
