Intelligent Traffic
Lights Remain Dumb
They promises us all and
give us nothing. I don't
respect the traffic
lights. Are some of the
comments made by drivers
as downtown San José has
become a gridlock and
the promise of the
intelligent traffic
lights working this
month, that is supposed
to relieve traffic
congestion, is stalled
again.
This time, according to
the ministra de
Transportes, Viviana
Martín, someone stole
the server in the
control centre, the
computer that controls
all the new traffic
lights and message
boards installed in the
past year.
The new traffic lights
installed by the Mexican
firm Semex were to have
been connected to the
operations control
centre this month in an
attempt to relieve rush
hour traffic congestion.
As well as the
information screens
located in La Sabana and
La Uruca to warn drivers
of traffic conditions
ahead. The only
information the giant
screens now give is the
time and date and some
driving tips, like not
drinking and driving.
The promise was that 325
traffic lights would be
working intelligently by
October, but now the
wait is on the
contractor to install a
new computer server and
that or any other part
of the system will not
again fall to theft.
As one driver put it,
asked by the news
television cameras of
his opinion on the
matter, "the traffic
lights are more
intelligent that the
people operating the
system".
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