High-tech road solutions to keep Vietnam moving forward

A Japanese consortium led by Toshiba will install a state-of-the-art ITS package on a nort-south expressway in Vietnam

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Such state-of-the-art systems are vitally important social infrastructure for emerging-market countries.

Against the backdrop of globalisation, Japan, through its capabilities and experience in social infrastructure technology, is contributing to enhancing the infrastructure of countries undergoing rapid economic growth. One example is Vietnam, whose GDP per capita growth since 1990 has been among the fastest in the world.

A 55km section to the east of Ho Chi Minh City, which connects the second city to the southern province of Dong Nai, shortens the usual three-hour journey between the two places to a single hour. This stretch of the highway will feature an intelligent transportation system (ITS) conceived and installed by a Japanese consortium.

The ITS system for Vietnam Expressway Corporation is but one fruit of the consortium of Japanese companies led by Toshiba. This is the first comprehensive ITS solution put together by Japanese companies for an overseas customer. The equipment had been tested and installed, and then officially opened to the public in March 2017.

Motorbikes, mainly commuter bikes, have long been the dominant form of private transportation in Vietnam. However, the country's rapid economic growth means they are increasingly sharing limited road space with a growing number of SUVs and other car models.

With Vietnam’s roads already thronged with traffic and congestions, gridlocks are everyday realities for long-suffering road users in the bustling country. Bringing the transportation system up to speed through the addition of more and better roads, including expressways, subways, and other transportation infrastructure, is a pressing national priority.

“Toshiba has more than 50 years of experience in road projects,” explains Atsushi Kawami, Highway and Traffic Solutions Engineering Department, Social Systems Division, Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Company. “But the maturity of the Japanese market has prompted us to seek new growth opportunities overseas. Our market surveys revealed the high potential of Vietnam where major road projects are gaining traction.”

“At the heart of an ITS is cutting-edge information processing technology for integrated processing of information on people, roads, vehicles, and so on, to reduce disruptions along road networks and inconveniences to users—traffic backups, accidents, and other glitches,” Kawami said, warming to his theme. “ITS consist of various subsystems, including those for traffic control and toll collection. In this project, the consortium is responsible for every element of the system, central or peripheral, for the 55km stretch of expressway.”

According to Kawami, Vietnam’s massive plan for road construction is an opportunity for Toshiba's total solutions incorporating traffic management and toll collection systems.

The project involves a toll collection system including ETC and installing vehicle detectors for measuring traffic flows and automatically sensing backups at 52 points. Additionally, cameras are installed to monitor 16 areas, sensors to assess weather conditions, and wireless communications equipment for use by the technicians supervising the expressway.