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Traffic data analysis centre recommended

SHARJAH — The setting up a comprehensive traffic data analysis centre for social, economic, and environmental improvement was one of the key draft recommendations presented during the 9th Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium which was inaugurated yesterday by Shaikh Sultan bin Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Sharjah at the University of Sharjah.

Mahfood Nasser, Head of the Road Planning and Transportation section from the Department of Town planning and Survey (DTPS), Sharjah and Halcrow International in its presentation on "Focus on Sharjah" said that traffic management is considered essential to any type of socio-economic development.

Recently, it has been noticed, most roads within the notified urban areas have become overloaded with traffic congestion leading to an adverse affect on quality of the life for many people in such areas, besides negatively impacting sustainable development.

Nasser recommended the setting up of a proper data analysis centre to collect all relevant traffic data and to analyse it and report their findings to all agencies that are responsible for city and community development.

His study paper highlighted how the centre should operate and work in cooperation with both the public and the private sector. The centre will also collect a wide spectrum of data ranging from volume, speed, occupancy, traffic, accidents, vehicle pollution emissions, and driver behaviour by using state-of-the art data collection methods.

Masoud Taydon, researcher from the Department of Town Planning and Survey (DTPS) Sharjah and Halcrow international said that the rapid population growth in Sharjah, coupled with its strategic location as a major bridge between the Northern Emirates and Dubai, has manifested itself in terms of excessive traffic congestion on the city road network. As part of a study commissioned by DTPS., traffic management models have been prepared in order to evaluate the proposed highways network schemes and to assist the city planners and decision makers to allocate funds to the most pressing scheme and thus prioritise capital expenditure

Despite all efforts initiated by Sharjah government in the housing sector, following the rapid population growth, there is still a housing problem in Sharjah, said Khaled bin Butti Director of Survey Department (DTPS) during his presentation.

He added that this problem is clearly demonstrated by the increasing number of application submitted to the Sharjah housing committee. Housing programmes have a direct effect on public policy, hence any good master-plan requires that such programmed housing development must be properly managed and directed to meet specific goals and objectives of the intended beneficiaries.

Moreover, it is important to realise that the Sharjah community comprises both nationals and expatriates, the housing policy should address their collective concerns, needs and expectation without any the citizen-expatriate divide

Enj Allia Al Eijla, Director of IT Department, DTPS presented a working paper that highlighted various initiatives that the Sharjah government has taken to transform the way it provide public services and several important projects including the Sharjah Government information Network (SGIN), which will eventually link all the Government Departments.

Participants reflected on a variety of urban planning problems and viable approaches to solve them, and offered insights for the solution of critical issues facing urban areas. The study papers covered the Arab world, including Sharjah, and beyond. Major topics of the first session included a focus on e-government, meeting housing needs in Sharjah, traffic study, as well as proposals and recommendations.

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