Western Australian Transport Minister Dean Nalder heads to New Zealand and Singapore this week to find out more about innovations in their transport systems, specifically ‘smart highways’ and taxi services.
The visit, from June 30 to July 9, starts in Wellington where the Minister will inspect New Zealand’s first smart highway from Johnsonville to the Terrace Tunnel. Due to open in early 2016, it is fitted with a network of radars, loops, cameras and electronic signs that are programmed to respond automatically to manage the flow of traffic.
“As the volume of traffic increases, the smart highway automatically adjusts the speed limit to reduce congestion and get as many vehicles as possible through the area. This system is used effectively around the world as transport agencies seek to improve people’s journeys while getting the most out of existing road corridors,” said Mr. Nalder.
“This fits in with the Western Australian Government’s commitment to provide an integrated transport network where we can move more vehicles through a section of road and everyone gets where they’re going sooner and more safely.”
Mr Nalder will investigate how other countries fund and deliver major routes for cars and heavy vehicles, in line with the investment by the Western Australian and Federal governments in North Link, Gateway and Roe 8.
“These projects will provide motorists and truck drivers with safer routes with fewer delays, so they can get to their destination faster, with fewer accidents,” he said.
The Minister intends to find out more about Singapore’s taxi information system trial, registration and licensing of vehicles, regulation of the taxi industry and ComfortDelGro’s smartphone taxi booking application.
“This is very topical right now because our taxi system in Western Australia is on the verge of reforms,” he said.
“The Government is about to release a Green Paper to provoke discussion on reforms to the taxi industry and we are very open to new ideas about how to proceed.”