A South Korean expert in managing traffic will be one of the guests during a forum on Intelligent Transport System to be hosted by the Metro Manila Development Authority in Pasay City on Thursday.
Dr. Kim Wan Jib, of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will present their Transportation Operation and Information Service (TOPIS), an integrated traffic management center that operates and manages Seoul’s traffic situation, along with its challenges and achievements since its inception.
TOPIS, the control tower of Seoul City’s comprehensive traffic system, 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 by the control tower and provided to traffic facility users and public transportation information managers operating buses, subway trains, parking facilities, among others.
The forum will also cover Smart City Projects and Strategies of Seoul, South Korea’s capital and largest metropolis recognized as one of the smartest, most connected city in the world.
Technologies that make Seoul among the Smartest Cities in the World will be presented during the event.
Guests of the forum, which will be held from 8:30 am to 1 pm at the SMX Convention Center Hall 4 of SM Mall of Asia, will discuss and determine on how Metro Manila can solve or lessen the worsening traffic situation.
The event will also help how Metro Manila residents can get advanced facilities to improve their way of life.
MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, who marked his first year in office last May 23, is set to welcome participants and guests gracing the event.
Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, head of the committee on Metropolitan Manila Development at the House of Representatives, is expected to attend and deliver his inspirational message to all the participants.
“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,” said Lim.
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.
According to Lim, Metro Manila’s road traffic congestion has been plaguing the capital region for decades.
The top 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 said that the Philippines is losing P3.5 billion a day due to the worsening traffic in Metro Manila.
Lim believes that traffic problems can be solved, with forceful implementation of the traffic laws, and with discipline and cooperation of all stakeholders.