Cape Town - With more cars taking to the roads, a new electronic sign to help motorists navigate the traffic maze has been installed for those heading south.
The automatic congestion information display (Acid) sign, on the M3 highway, was a response to congestion on the roads, according to the City.
The sign is aimed at helping those travelling towards Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, St James, Noordhoek and Kommetjie.
Mayco member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, explained how it works.
“The routes to the coastal towns are often congested during the afternoon peak hour period when commuters are travelling home from work,” he said.
“Many visitors flock to these popular destinations over weekends and on public holidays.”
The sign advises commuters about anticipated travelling times towards Kalk Bay via Main Road and Boyes Drive, and en route to Noordhoek and Kommetjie via Ou Kaapse Weg.
The information is automatically updated every 15 minutes.
‘I am sure commuters will find this very useful to plan their journeys and to choose the best route to their destination, depending on what is happening on the road ahead,“ he said.
“We know that only one incident can cause serious delays, thus by knowing in advance of possible congestion, the driver can opt to choose an alternative route.”
Quintas said the sign would remain functional up to level 4 of load-shedding.
The installation was the first to be rolled out across the city and formed part of efforts to promote smart mobility, he explained.
Plans were also afoot to install another Acid sign at Clovelly to share information about the travelling times towards the M3 highway via Main Road and Boyes Drive.
Another could possibly be at the intersection of Kommetjie Main Road and Ou Kaapse Weg in Noordhoek for those travelling towards the M3.
The travel time information enables commuters to choose the best possible route to their destination, which means they can save fuel and time on the road.
“It will also assist in reducing congestion by balancing traffic volumes across three routes,” said Quintas.