TRAFFIC CONTROL BY COLORMATIC MAP
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AN experiment currently being conducted by the Ministry of Transport in London might well go a long way towards solving many of the traffic problems in central London, if adopted on a large scale, by facilitating the redirection of traffic whenever blockages occur. Every move of the dense traffic in the key area of Vauxhall Cross can be observed two miles away on a special wall map in the Ministry's headquarters.
The equipment used is special electronic equipment developed by Decca Radar Ltd. in co-operation with the Ministry's London Traffic Management Unit, and is known as the Decca Colormatic Traffic Map. Vehicle tube detectors, spaced 13 in. apart, are installed at 11 different points on the main roads radiating from Vauxhall Cross. Pulses from the wheels of vehicles crossing the tubes are transmitted by direct telephone lines to a small computer in the Ministry headquarters; this converts the pulses into measurements of flow (vehicles per hour) and speed (miles per hour), and indicates these by coloured lights moving on the wall map. Traffic moving at 10 m.p.h. or above is shown by green lights; as soon as the traffic speed drops below this, such as when queues are forming, the lights change to amber and if the traffic then remains stationary for a period of more than 20 seconds, the lights change to red.
When a light changes from green to amber, because of traffic slowing, a bell sounds, and as soon as a red light appears a loud buzzer sounds; consequently, traffic observers need not watch the map continuously. Connections can be made from the computer to dials to show the actual traffic flow and speed at any of the 11 detector points, and to pen recorders giving a continuous trace and, copsequently, a permanent record of these two factors. An additional useful feature of the equipment is the relay of traffic signals at various junctions to the wall map.
The possible advantages of this system are obvious. When demonstrating the equipment, Sir Alex Samuels, traffic adviser to the Ministry of Transport, explained that 25 sets at strategic points in central London, relaying information to a central control panel, could give very useful information which would allow the redirection of traffic to avoid congested points. This could be linked with central traffic light control, either manually or automatically operated, to assist the free flow of traffic.
An area of about half a mile across is served by the initial experiment, and the complete equipment cost some £10,000 to install—a second set would cost about £8,000. The Metropolitan Commissioner of Police has ordered a duplicate of the Vauxhall Cross wall map for installation at New Scotland Yard in February. Initially, this will be operated from the Ministry computer: if the police find it helpful in guiding their officers on the road by radio-telephone communication they may buy and install their own detector and computer apparatus. At one of the detector points (at the south end of aVuxhall Bridge), electronic contactors are being tried and these are laid beneath the asphalt top surface of the road.
STALWART CHOSEN
THEMinistry of Defence has announced that following intensive trials the Alvis Stalwart has been accepted as a high-mobility load carrier for the British Army.
The Stalwart has also been ordered by the Swedish Government for Coastal Defence Services. Trial vehicles have also been purchased by Germany, France and Italy, and the vehicle has completed successful trials in Canada. It has undergone service evaluation in Aden and is now being tested out in the U.S.A.
Designed as a private venture by Alvis Ltd. the Stalwart is a 6 x 6 5-Conner and is amphibious and air-portable.