Seoul City’s transport control office on Thursday unveiled a major upgrade of information technology-based services to provide traffic information more accurately and quickly.

The city government plans to merge its traffic control center and disaster response team into a new entity called the Seoul Safety Control Center. It will begin operations later this year.

They will share real-time digital videos and monitor traffic situations and disasters at the same time.

A total of 1,141 pieces of traffic information equipment including traffic electronic display boards, bus information guides and unmanned violation controllers will be shared with the disaster system in an emergency.

With a database with 10 years of information and the simulation technology, which the city adopted for the first time in the nation, the center is now able to accurately predict the traffic and provide the fastest route information when heavy traffic jams are expected.

Seoul will also export the city’s intelligent transportation system and aid developing countries with advanced systems.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)