iHub geeks launch search for ‘intelligent’ traffic lights

Elly Okutoyi lives in Parklands and works on Ngong Road in Nairobi. His major headache while going to work is the traffic jam. “Sometimes I feel like alighting and walking,” he says.

Mr Okutoyi represents thousands of Nairobi residents who detest the peak hours in the mornings and evenings but are unable to find a solution.

Because of the work schedules that force people to head to one direction during these hours, traffic jams are a permanent feature on the city roads.

Many tools have been tested but have come a cropper. One of the developments that has shown signs of success are the overpasses and underpasses on Thika Road, which is being upgraded to eight lanes in the drive to reduce traffic jams.

Upgrade system

Other proposals floated include traffic cameras that stream on the Internet live pictures on designated junctions. However, the madness continues.

Geeks sitting by one of the roads notorious for the snail-speed traffic have been peeping through their windows and they do not like what they see.

iHub, one of the homes of technology specialists in Nairobi, has been busy for the last six months seeking to change the way traffic lights are used. They want to upgrade the lights to an intelligent system.

Pre-programmed lights at the roundabouts or junctions are one of the major problems, the team of researchers assembling the contraption says.

The iHub team wants to use motion sensors and upgrade these tools to tell the state of adjacent or opposite roads after the roundabout.

The iHub team lights will only allow cars moving into the direction with less traffic while those moving into gridlocks will be held longer. It will also help the motorists to take alternative lanes in time.

The police will not be required to manage the flow but will be expected to enforce discipline by ensuring none overlaps or changes lanes at will.

“We started hacking (developing) the system last Saturday, but the preparation has been ongoing for the last six months,” said Jesicca Colaco, iHub research lab manager and lead researcher.

The traffic “saviour” will be ready for testing on Ngong Road in the next three months.

The project financed by Ushahidi — a software developer — is a collaboration between iHub and the Fablab, based at the University of Nairobi.

Most businesses have moved to new office parks on Ngong Road, making it one of the busiest roads in Nairobi.

“We will pilot the system on Ngong Road for one month, which will be around the month of October,” explains Juliette Wanyiri, the robotics co-ordinator at iHub.

“It’s a system that we hope will decongest our roads,” said Ms Wanyiri. iHub says if the technology passes the test, iHub will liaise with the relevant government arms for adoption of the “unique” technology.

“We have moved to copyright the system, the documentation is on,” said Ms Wanyiri.

“Every day I and my staff spend long hours in traffic jam and we asked ourselves if we can do something not only to assist others but to assist ourselves too,” explains Jessica.

Pollution and depression

Jessica says although most times the traffic police take over the roundabouts, irrespective of whether the lights are working or not, the officers “have no capability to know what is happening down the road.”

However, since the work of technical people does not involve implementation, “we will work with the Ministry of Works, traffic police and get their input.”

Sensor systems are in use in developed countries but the Kenya’s traffic problem is unique, Jessica says.

“In Kenya, drivers overlap and form different patterns. For a system to work, it must be able to detect such patterns,” says Colaco.

She is optimistic they are on the road to developing a system that will decode such patterns.

“We have observed the patterns that form on our roads for some time and we know them,” added Colaco.

It is estimated that Kenyan economy loses more than Sh1.5 billion to wasted man-hours, environmental pollution and depressions due to traffic menace.

Stakeholders are in agreement that traffic congestion is a problem that needs a solution, but that is how far they have gone.

Most of the existing systems were designed decades ago when there were fewer cars, giving more weight to the argument that the infrastructure could be overwhelmed, hence the need for reviews and overhauls.

Kenya is implementing ambitious programmes, including the expansion of the roads like the Thika highway and construction of modern commuter rails.