New system improves NLEX response time

MANILA, Philippines -  For the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), “quick” is not good enough for its patrol crew’s response time to incidents at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) that need roadside assistance.

Ramoncito S. Fernandez, MPTC president and CEO, said that a much faster way of responding to emergencies and other incidents is having the information in real time without even a split second delay.

That’s why MPTC engineers and information technology experts were commissioned to develop a much faster motorist assistance system that enables the NLEX traffic control room (TRC) to readily identify and direct the nearest patrol vehicle to respond to emergency situations anywhere within the 94-kilometer tollway.

The team came up with a much faster motorist assistance system using a state-of-the-art technology that harnesses both digital communication and the Internet.

The result: automatic vehicle locator system (AVLS), which is a “complete vehicle fleet management solution composed of hardware, software and maps using location-based technology to readily track the patrol vehicles.”

“Although the traffic control room of the NLEX has enabled us to monitor traffic closely from day one, the introduction of the AVLS enables us to further enhance our traffic management efficiency, hasten response to vehicle accidents, and improve motorist assistance,” Fernandez said.

Investment in the AVLS technology, according to him, was worth every centavo given the assurance that NLEX motorists “are always safe and have immediate assistance whenever they are in trouble.”

“The AVLS gives the NLEX another first in tollway operations, making it the first and only expressway in the country to use such innovative technology with real-time locating capability,” he added.

The AVLS combined global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) with communication links that enable the Tollways Management Corp., operating arm of MPTC, to track, locate, and log its fleet of patrol vehicles.

The patrol cars are fitted with a GPS gadget that allows the TMC to automatically and accurately pinpoint the location of traffic patrols at any given time, with the aid of satellite.

Research and development of the AVLS, according to Ramon Fernandez, is “another fruit of MPTC’s continuing commitment to provide a cutting edge in customer services.”