Traffic jams are serious issues that can threaten safety. Source: Shutterstock

Traffic jams are serious issues that can threaten safety. Source: Shutterstock

5G and drones are the power duo ensuring traffic efficiency in China

FESTIVAL and holiday seasons can be a very challenging time for communities in urban areas and heavily populated countries as the general public will be crowding roads, air terminals, and ferries in order to travel.

Obviously, heavy congestions and traffic build-up are inevitable as a result. In such scenarios, a lot of safety-related issues can come up and dramatically disrupt road operations.

Factors that can impact travel efficiencies are an incompetent transportation system, challenging weather conditions, flawed infrastructure, and poor traffic management.

China is making sure it is all geared up and ready to tackle the travel rush that was about to hit Guangdong – one of its busiest southeast provinces – as the Spring Festival intensifies.

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Transportation has leveraged 5G capabilities and drone technology to help monitor road conditions and travel efficiencies.

The combination of the two technologies is certainly progressive, proactive, and tactical as high-speed connectivity will enable real-time data to be captured and analyzed by traffic management authorities.

On the other hand, the drones have been flying above major highways, consistently monitoring traffic conditions in real-time and streaming that data to relevant parties to augment transportation management.

Using artificial intelligence capabilities, the drones can identify traffic jams and accidents and immediately notify related authorities.

The transportation department remarked that “The introduction of the new and high technology would help further upgrade the province’s ‘intelligent transportation’ during the travel rush and play an important role in ensuring migrant workers go home smoothly and safely to spend the Lunar New Year that begins on January 25 with family members, relatives, and friends.”

Deploying these solutions is instrumental to augment the transportation and travel systems in the province as Guangdong has recorded several traffic issues in the past during Spring Festival.

Apart from being China’s economic powerhouse, the province also homes the largest number of migrant workers in the country.

It was also projected that about 200 million people would be traveling home and back to the cities – by land alone – after the festival ends in mid-February.

Not only that, it was revealed that by the end of last Monday, 21.79 million travelers had already gone back home by train.

China is certainly not one to let history repeats itself when it comes to traffic management. Considering all of the technological advances that the country has established, using 5G and drones is definitely in the books for the government authorities.