Beijing upgrades 800 traffic lights to help the blind

800 traffic lights at 100 major crossroads in Beijing have been upgraded to indicate the time remaining until traffic lights change and also broadcast voice reminders to alert the blind, according to Beijing traffic management bureau yesterday.

The traffic lights are getting "smart" since Beijing is using the latest information and communications technologies to streamline the city's traffic.

The color of traffic lights can change based on information collected by traffic flow sensors installed at road intersections. The automatic color changing can maximize road traffic efficiency and alleviate congestion.

To speed up public transport, traffic lights on roads with several bus lines have been fitted with programs that give priority to mass transit. When buses pass through intersections, they are identified by radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers installed near the traffic lights. The reader detects RFID tags aboard buses and sends signals to the traffic light, which changes to green to allow enough time for the bus to pass.

By People's Daily Online