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DUT Hosts Advanced Traffic Management Systems Seminar

DUT Hosts Advanced Traffic Management Systems Seminar

The Durban University of Technology’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) in collaboration with Q-FREEAFRICA hosted a full day seminar on Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) which saw robust discussions and presentations around technologies and solutions surrounding Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and the advanced management of these systems.

Themed: Ensuring Economic Growth and Employment through implementation of interlinked ATMS in KZN and its Ports of Durban and Richards Bay, the seminar was held at the DUT Hotel School, Ritson Campus and had participants from the USA, UK, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Norway and across South Africa.

The seminar follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DUT and Q-FREEAFRICA; with one of the key outcomes being the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) at DUT.

Q-FREEAFRICA, a subsidiary of Q-FREE ASA which is a Norwegian based internationally public traded company that specialises in ITS/ATMS, including, among others, congestion management and charging, traffic surveillance, video tolling, number plate recognition, weigh-in-motion and truck tolling, will be providing funding, equipment (including a test gantry) and training, including access to a vast amount of existing and new data for the purpose of research and development in the ITS arena.

Staff from the departments of Electronic Engineering as well as Civil Engineering at DUT will undergo training in this technology. Together with experts from Q-FREEAFRICA, and their associated companies in Norway, Netherlands and various other countries, the staff members will form part of a specialist group. This group will then be responsible for the knowledge transfer of the aforementioned technologies to current and future students.

eThekwini Municipality Speaker Councillor Logie Naidoo officially inaugurated the seminar. He said the KZN Department of Transport team has travelled to many countries in a bid to understand traffic management in particular. Councillor Naidoo said he is proud that DUT is always seeking to assist the Municipality, adding that he hopes that the relationship between the two parties (DUT and eThekwini Municipality) continues to grow stronger.

Speakers delivered detailed presentations of what their companies offer in terms of Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) in their countries and its relevance in KZN and South Africa at large. These companies: Open Roads Consulting USA, Intelight Corporation USA and Traffic Data Collection UK were approached by Q-FREEAFRICA and Q-FREE ASA to partner in the DUT Centre of Excellence in ITS initiative.

DUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Ahmed Bawa said, when Q-FREEAFRICA Founder Ambigay Hemetsberger and her husband Gunter Hemetsberger approached the University, it seemed like another instance of “academic tourism”, whereby international companies and other institutes sign MoUs with the University but later fail to follow up. Q-FREEAFRICA has, however, proven to be reliable and serious about helping the University to achieve excellence by already providing some research funding. In addition, Q-FREEAFRICA has already sponsored a knowledge sharing expedition to Norway and Netherlands for a DUT staff member, Seren Reddy from the Department of Electronic Engineering.

Prof Bawa added that he hopes the relationship between DUT and Q-FREEAFRICA opens many doors and further collaboration.

FEBE Executive Dean Professor Theo Andrew said with 6 700 students enrolled in its departments, FEBE is the largest faculty at DUT also adding that DUT is the only accredited University in Quantity Surveying in KZN. Speaking about international partnerships that have blossomed in the past, Prof Andrew also mentioned that DUT is proud to have a substantial number of international students, mainly from the African continent enrolled each year.

“We believe that in order to develop our students, we have to not only internationalise our programmes but ensure and maintain partnerships with local communities and organisations because technology, in the end, is about societal development”, he said.

-Nomvula Sikakane

Pictured: FEBE Executive Dean Prof Theo Andrew, Q-FREE ASA Director of Business Development Christian Barrios, eThekwini Municipality Speaker Councillor Logie Naidoo, Q-FREEAFRICA founder Ambigay Hemetsberger and her husband Gunter Hemetsberger and the Department of Electronic Engineering HOD Kris Moodley.

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