MERALCO PARTNERS WITH MMDA TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY

As part of its proactive campaign to contribute to ensuring public safety, Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has teamed up with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to promote road safety among the power distributor’s employees through the conduct of Basic Motorcycle Riding courses.

Seen in the photo (from L-R) are MMDA Traffic Education Division Development Management Officer V Antonio B. Pagulayan Jr., Meralco National Government Sector Relationship Manager Gina G. Magno, MMDA Undersecretary Frisco S. San Juan, Meralco Vice President and Head of Facilities and Safety Management Jerry B. Lao, Meralco National Government Sector Head Rene Y. Sua, and Meralco Head of Corporate Occupational Safety and Environment Management Jose Rafael C. Atienza.

The two-day Basic Motorcycle Riding Course by MMDA is offered for free and open to the public.
The program availed by Meralco aims to provide the necessary knowledge and skills related to safe
motorcycle riding and to reduce the number of employee incidents related to motorcycles.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. This initiative in partnership with the MMDA will equip our
employees with the proper training on motorcycle riding and help us enhance their safety as well as
the members of the riding community that we share the roads with," said Lao.

Around 150 Meralco personnel signed up for the program, the first leg of which was conducted last
March 12 and 13 at the MMDA Motorcycle Riding Academy in Pasig City. MMDA will facilitate the
same training in Meralco’s sector offices in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna on March 19 and 20, and in
Valenzuela City on March 26 and 27.

Fujitsu and Hexagon Digital Twin Tech Aids Predictive Disaster and Traffic Safety Management

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division and Fujitsu Limited today announced the joint development of digital twin applications for predicting and mitigating natural disasters and traffic accidents. The solutions reflect the two companies’ ongoing efforts to realize resilient, disaster-resistant cities based on a business alliance formed in June 2022.  

To support disaster mitigation, the two companies are developing a prediction model that calculates the extent and impact of flooding from precipitation data, visualizes the extent of flooding and performs damage prediction analysis. Based on the analysis, cities can develop disaster response plans.

To support traffic safety, the companies have focused on an application that identifies areas where heavy traffic and road design heighten the risk of accidents and proposes measures for improvement. The application would allow city planners and road administrators to develop safer, more resilient transportation networks.

Going forward, Fujitsu and Hexagon will continue conducting field trials with customers in the administrative, municipal and transportation sectors to support decision making for urban environmental optimization, with an aim to develop solutions globally by the end of fiscal 2023 ending March 2024.

Use case 1: Protecting cities and regions from natural disasters

(Example) Reporting the number of disaster-stricken facilities and people and proposing countermeasures

Coordinating and visualizing data across multiple areas, including medicine, transportation, energy and the environment is vital to protect people and social infrastructure from the various threats posed by natural disasters and other dangers in an increasingly unpredictable world. Leveraging Fujitsu’s Computing as a Service (CaaS) platform, which offers users a powerful suite of easy-to-use services based on Fujitsu's advanced computing and software technologies, alongside Hexagon's M.App Enterprise real-time geospatial application, the two companies will use ‘digital rehearsal’ technology (Note 1) to analyze and verify disaster threats and optimal disaster preparedness in advance on a digital twin that replicates real world conditions with incredible detail.

The combined solution uses flood forecasting models and precipitation data to perform sophisticated calculations and visualize flooding, as well as to address challenges and use cases in the medical, financial, public and distribution industries, such as infrastructure damage forecasting, formulation of disaster response plans and estimation of damage amounts. In addition, it aims to secure safe evacuation routes and support infrastructure protection in the event of abnormal weather and natural disasters by leveraging weather IoT sensors and weather forecast services that monitor temperature and rainfall.

Use case 2: Contributing to the reduction of traffic accidents

(Example)Visualization and analysis of traffic accident data

According to a 2022 study report compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO), 50 million people are seriously injured and 1.35 million die annually from traffic accidents. Many accidents are caused by excessive speed, improper road guidance or the road environment. To reduce such accidents, it is important to visualize where accidents frequently occur, analyze the causes of accidents and propose solutions.

Through a combination of Hexagon's geospatial visualization tool M. App Enterprise and Fujitsu's infrastructure services, the companies have developed an application that visualizes areas with high levels of traffic accidents; analyzes traffic volumes, road design, signs and other factors; and provides recommendations for reducing traffic accidents in accordance with the Road Safety Toolkit (Note 2) of the International Road Assessment Program (iRAP).

For example, in a spot where traffic volume is low but accidents frequently occur, several improvement measures, such as speed control, installation of warning signs and separation of traffic routes between pedestrians and vehicles by guardrails, are presented together for a cost effective solution. These proposals for city planners, road administrators, local governments and consulting services contribute to the reduction of traffic accidents and the creation of safe and secure communities.

Mladen Stojic, president of government, transportation, defense and security for Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division, said the partnership with Fujitsu continues to pay dividends for cities. “Hexagon is proud to work with Fujitsu to provide cities with tools to take control of their futures,” said Stojic. “By monitoring and mitigating factors that have negative impacts on society, from pollution to traffic congestion to flooding, our partnership is helping to make urban areas more sustainable and liveable.”

Yoshinami Takahashi, SEVP, Head of Global Business Solutions of Fujitsu Limited said, “We are very pleased to report on the progress of our partnership with Hexagon, which represents a big step towards realizing Fujitsu's Trusted Society for Fujitsu Uvance. This new global offering promotes “sustainability transformation,” combining the strengths of both companies to address many complex issues facing society that cannot be solved through existing means.”

Sarmiento Offers Solution to EDSA Traffic

House Transportation Committee Chair and Samar 1st District Representative Edgar Mary Sarmiento unveiled Friday the blueprint of his proposed centralized and synchronized bus dispatch system which would turn the EDSA's rowdy and chaotic city buses into a fast, efficient and predictable mass transport system.
Sarmiento, a civil engineer, disclosed the full details of his proposal after announcing that his panel is closely working with the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to craft a roadmap which would solve EDSA's traffic problem.

In his proposal, Sarmiento said that the innermost lane of EDSA will serve as an "express bus lane" which can be accessed through stations used by the MRT. Like a carousel, the "express bus lane" will just circle around EDSA, duplicating the route of the MRT.

"People who use the MRT can now have the option to ride the bus which will be also operated like carousel. The buses will only load and unload passengers in a synchronized manner at the MRT stations so they are basically an extension of the MRT. Walang magiging traffic dyan because the entire inner lane from Taft Avenue to North Avenue and vice-versa will be enclosed and exclusive to the express bus lane ," Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento said that the three lanes in the middle of EDSA will be dedicated for all types of private vehicles subject to the existing vehicle reduction programs like the number coding scheme. Private cars will be only allowed to use the outer lane when turning into an intersection.

The outer lane of EDSA or the yellow lane will be used as a dedicated city bus lane which will also adopt a centralized and synchronized dispatch system. Dedicated bus stops will be established one kilometer apart. Loading and unloading of passengers will be strictly implemented on these bus stops.
Sarmiento said that while the express bus lane will cater to passengers who also use the MRT, the city bus lane operation will extend up to the Parañaque Integrated Bus Terminal (PITX) in the south and the Valenzuela Integrated Bus Terminal (VIBT) in the north and vice-versa.

" City buses will now be using the outermost lane in EDSA or the yellow lane. They will be traversing EDSA in a carousel-type system until they reach the proposed north terminal which is the Valenzuela Integrated Bus Terminal. From there, the city buses will now traverse to the south still using the outermost lane until it reaches the proposed south terminal which is the Paranaque Integrated Bus Terminal," Sarmiento said.

"We propose this to eradicate the kanya-kanya system of the buses wherein they compete with each other creating chaos through overtaking, overspeeding, and overstaying. Puno man o hindi, lalarga po ang mga city buses dahil may schedule na po ang biyahe nila at hindi na sila makikipag-agawan ng pasahero dahil hindi na commission-based ang kita kundi sahod na ang matatanggap ng mga drivers at konduktors," Sarmiento added.

Sarmiento said that also part of the proposal is to modernize the fare system using tap or beep card.

"Once everything has been set in theory and generated through computer by the MMDA, it will be presented to the public through a dry run, which will be implemented on a day with the least number of vehicles in the road. We are going to have a computer-generated simulation of this proposal to be led by the MMDA," Sarmiento said to dispel fears that this could end up just like the other failed "experiments" of the MMDA.

Sarmiento clarified however that his proposal can still be subject to improvements and adjustments by the DoTr and the MMDA which is will the frontline implementing agencies.

"Lastly, this proposal is a work in progress. Details will be discussed by the Executives. Ang inyong lingkod, bilang Chairman ng House Committee on Transportation ay willing na magbigay ng suporta sa DOTr kung may mga kailangang polisiya upang maipatupad natin kaagad ang mga planong ito," Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento said that if and when the plan is set into motion, the private vehicles that continue to clog EDSA middle lanes would be reduced eventually "because people would now start riding the bus rather than drive their car in what is described as one of the world's biggest parking lot."

"With this system, if the trains and buses will be fully operational, and the commuting public is now effectively and efficiently being moved, that’s the time that we can reduce the volume of private vehicles in EDSA and the major thoroughfares in Metro Manila," Sarmiento said.

" Once the volume of vehicles were reduced, that’s the time that we can introduce major infrastructures in EDSA and other major thoroughfares," he added.