The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport aims to expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to control traffic lights in frequently congested locations, heard a regular press briefing on the city’s socio-economic performance on Thursday.

The city has been piloting several solutions for enhancing the operation of traffic light systems in order to improve traffic regulation.

Currently, AI technology is being applied to traffic light control in key intersections, including Hang Xanh, Dai Liet Si, and the junctions of Ung Van Khiem - Nguyen Gia Tri and Nguyen Gia Tri - D5 in Binh Thanh District.

The traffic situation in these areas has been relatively stable since the project launched.

Additionally, the municipal department is carrying out some projects focused on automatic traffic control on arterial routes such as Pham Van Dong, Vo Van Kiet, and Mai Chi Tho, utilizing cutting-edge Digital Twin technology integrated with next-generation AI.

This technology is meant to collect, analyze, and report real-time data on the status and performance of road systems, helping to detect traffic congestion and accidents, and providing automatic alerts for operators.

The department is considering expanding the use of AI-based traffic light control at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and its surrounding area, in the city center, and in other congested locations.

The department manages 1,070 traffic light posts, including 794 that operate in a standard green-yellow-red cycle and 256 using a flashing yellow mode.

Of these, 843 operate independently while 227 are connected to a control system.

The traffic lights are regularly maintained by the Road Traffic Infrastructure Management Center and the Urban Traffic Management Center.

However, some issues, such as power outages, equipment malfunctions, or damaged lights, sometimes cause disruptions for drivers.

To mitigate these problems, several measures have been adopted to stabilize traffic light operations.

For systems linked to the control center, personnel actively monitor operations and adjust traffic light timings in real-time to alleviate congestion.

Independently operated traffic lights have pre-set timings tailored to different periods of the day.

Additionally, during peak hours -- 6:30 am to 9:00 am and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm -- traffic police, task forces, volunteers, and militia are deployed on streets to manage traffic light operations and ensure smoother traffic flow.

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