Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




UAV NEWS
Drones and phones to tackle Indonesian holiday road chaos
By Nick Perry
Jakarta (AFP) July 15, 2015


From drones to smartphone apps, Indonesia is harnessing technology to tackle traffic chaos during the annual mass exodus before the Muslim Eid holiday, when the potholed roads of overpopulated Java become clogged with millions of slow-moving cars and crashes are frequent.

Cities in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country empty every year at the end of the holy month of Ramadan as people head to villages to celebrate Eid with their families.

This trip is an annual ritual known locally as "mudik" that transforms journeys of a few hundred kilometres (miles) into 24-hour odysseys.

The crush is particularly acute on Java, a crowded island that is home to more than half of Indonesia's 250 million people.

Hundreds of new vehicles are hitting the road every day as the economy booms, but scant investment means many routes remain as they have for years -- narrow, ageing roads snaking through mountainous terrain.

"Mentally, we are prepared," said Astri Wahyuni, who was gearing up to travel to a village in central Java from the capital Jakarta with her husband and two young children for Eid, which is expected to fall on Friday. The journey normally takes as little as five hours -- but in the run-up to Eid, it can last 25.

This year, however, a series of new technological tools are being rolled out in an attempt to ease the traffic chaos.

In Jakarta -- an overcrowded, grim metropolis that suffers notorious traffic jams which only get worse in the run-up to Eid -- police have deployed drones for the first time this year to monitor traffic as it floods out of the city.

The unmanned aerial vehicles whizz high above the outskirts of the city, which has a population of about 10 million, with images relayed in real-time back to a traffic-monitoring centre where police can make quick decisions as issues arise.

"If there's bad traffic, if there's an accident, we'll be able to see it from above," Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal told AFP.

- App explosion -

Police have also launched a smartphone app that allows drivers to access the police CCTV network via their handsets and check traffic conditions on vital motorways.

It will face stiff competition from a series of specialised "mudik" apps launched in time for the annual holiday, with technology companies seeking to capitalise on the growing popularity of smartphones as cheaper models flood the market and incomes rise.

Services such as "Ayo Mudik" and "Media Mudik" help locate the nearest mosque and inform drivers when they should start fasting, a requirement for Muslims during daylight hours in Ramadan.

Countless map and GPS navigation apps have added extra "mudik" features that identify rest stops, petrol stations and meet-up spots for car pooling.

And those wanting to document their "mudik" in pictures can download "Instadeen", which allows users to add religious text or Koranic verses to their photos before posting them online.

Shinta Dhanuwardoyo, the founder and CEO of Indonesian digital media agency Bubu, said tech entrepreneurs were being creative, developing apps tailored to the particular characteristics of the country's mass exodus.

"These apps may not necessarily work in other countries, it's very localised," she said.

Despite the technical innovations, there was little sign "mudik" in 2015 was any different from previous years, with hours-long queues on major routes and reports of scores of people killed in crashes since the weekend, when the exodus began.

To stand any chance of seriously reducing the chaos, observers say major investment in public transport and infrastructure is needed, something that new President Joko Widodo has pledged but which has yet to materialise.

Some don't want to see an end to the chaos, however, and believe sitting in hours-long traffic jams is all part of the festive spirit.

"You can enjoy the trip, making memories with your family," Wahyuni said. "That is something you cannot replace with social media, I think, the uniqueness of the 'mudik' tradition itself."


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





UAV NEWS
US drone strikes target militants on Afghan-Pakistan border
Kabul (AFP) July 7, 2015
US forces have carried out two drone strikes targeting militants in part of Afghanistan where the Taliban have clashed with purported supporters of the Islamic State group, officials said Tuesday. The Islamic State (IS) group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghanistan but fears are growing that it is making inroads in the country ... read more


UAV NEWS
Russia to Land Space Vessel on Moon's Polar Region in 2019

Moon engulfed in permanent, lopsided dust cloud

Crashing comets may explain mysterious lunar swirls

Google Lunar X-Prize meets Yoda

UAV NEWS
Opportunity Rover's 7th Mars Winter to Include New Study Area

Opportunity Gets Back to Work

NASA wants to send microbes to Mars to prepare for human habitation

Could This Become the First Mars Airplane

UAV NEWS
NASA selects leading-edge concepts for continued study

US selects four astronauts for commercial flight

Docking Adapter Sets Stage for Commercial Crew Crew

Targeted LEDs could provide efficient lighting for plants grown in space

UAV NEWS
Chinese earth station is for exclusively scientific and civilian purposes

Cooperation in satellite technology put Belgium, China to forefront

China set to bolster space, polar security

China's super "eye" to speed up space rendezvous

UAV NEWS
'Jedi' astronauts say 'no fear' as they gear for ISS trip

Relief as Russian cargo ship docks at space station

Loss of SpaceX Cargo Resupply Mission No Threat to ISS Crew Security

Russia launches Soyuz Progress with supplies for ISS

UAV NEWS
India to launch its heaviest commercial mission to date

Final payload integration begins for next Ariane 5 launch

Licensed commercial spaceport to be built in Houston, Texas

More Fidelity for SpaceX In-Flight Abort Reduces Risk

UAV NEWS
Observing the birth of a planet

Precise ages of largest number of stars hosting planets ever measured

Can Planets Be Rejuvenated Around Dead Stars?

Spiral arms cradle baby terrestrial planets

UAV NEWS
Chameleon satellite to revolutionise telecom market

Study: Violent video games offer stress release, but at a cost

Lower cost ultrasound degassing now possible in processing aluminum

New technique enables magnetic patterns to be mapped in 3-D




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.