Connected truck tech trial to commence in Sydney

The New South Wales Government has announced it will soon be trialing cutting-edge V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) technology in Sydney that will see trucks maintain wireless communications between the vehicle and upcoming traffic lights, in an effort to reduce the number of times heavy vehicles are stopped by red lights as they negotiate the city.

If successful, the technology will not only help trucks keep rolling and minimise congestion, it will also reduce the fuel consumption of the vehicles adopting the system.

Announced recently by the NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey, the three-month trial will see participating vehicles fitted with a new application of the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS).

The connected technology will be applied over 40 kilometres of key freight corridors utilising the heavily congested arterials of Pennant Hills Road, King Georges Road, and Parramatta Road.

The technology builds on an existing system that grants priority to late-running buses in the NSW capital, and will be fitted to over 100 heavy vehicles. A full assessment of the results will be made on the culmination of the trial.

Mrs Pavey said the technology offered a way forward to help tackle traffic congestion in Australia's most populous city.

"Heavy vehicles take a long time to stop and start, which can cause delays for all road users," she said.

"This trial will detect a heavy vehicle approaching traffic lights and provide more green time, which will hopefully show us how we can ease delays for all motorists.

"The opportunities are vast; with Sydney's freight set to double over the next 40 years and increase by 25 per cent in regional NSW, we have to look outside the box."

Related reading:
FAQ: modern truck technology