VITRONIC receives major contract from the Sultanate of Oman | 31.08.2012

Wiesbaden/Dubai/Muscat.  The government of Oman is working to make the Sultanate's streets at least as safe as those in Northern Europe. As one step towards this goal, the Royal Oman Police, VITRONIC Machine Vision Middle East LLC and their local partner IMTAC LLC signed contracts in early August for the delivery of 200 stationary PoliScan^speed systems for speed enforcement and 36 PoliScan^redlight systems for red light enforcement. This is a clear signal from the Oman that it is investing in state-of-the-art traffic enforcement technology and is serious about improving road safety. Thanks to preparatory work carried out by VITRONIC in Wiesbaden, the first devices were shipped and commissioned just a few days after the contract was signed.

This deal in Oman allows VITRONIC GmbH and its subsidiary in Dubai to further extend their presence in the Middle East. "We are now using PoliScan in six large regions on the Arabian Peninsula," says Youssef El Hansali, CEO of VITRONIC Machine Vision Middle East. "Along with Dubai, Jeddah, Riad, Abu Dhabi and Doha, our systems are now deployed in the Muscat region as well. And our efforts are making an impact: The number of people killed in traffic accidents in these regions has fallen considerably over the last few years. This is in no small part thanks to our systems."

All 236 devices will be delivered and commissioned in accordance with a strict schedule. More than 100 additional PoliScan systems are already on their way to Oman; the remaining systems are currently being manufactured.

A decision in favor of VITRONIC technology

Extensive comparative testing of stationary speed and red light enforcement systems was conducted in the province of Muscat prior to awarding of a contract to VITRONIC, which delivered the best results. The decisive factor was the excellent test results and much more flexible deployment areas of this technology compared with those of conventional devices, providing the best opportunities for detecting speed and red light offences along hazardous road sections, irrespective of the road topography and other objects along the sides of roads. The modern design of the PoliScan pillars, which have since become a true trendsetter in modern street furniture, was the perfect choice for the region of Muscat with its top infrastructure and beautiful, well-kept cityscape. As the devices are constantly exposed to extreme weather conditions, it was very important to have a design that is impervious to dust and not affected by high ambient temperatures.  Furthermore, VITRONIC measurement technology does not require any in-road equipment such as induction loops or piezo sensors, allowing considerable savings in pavement installation and maintenance, as well as fewer road closures, that often lead to traffic congestion.

All PoliScan measuring devices will be installed in the Muscat area. Some units will replace older devices made by other manufacturers which are being phased out or used in other provinces of Oman; others will be installed in locations which have recently been added to the scheme.

The basis of the Royal Oman Police's initial interest was the excellent reputation that the latest VITRONIC technology enjoys worldwide, particularly in the neighboring countries of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. PoliScan mobile and stationary systems have been demonstrating high practical suitability in these countries over several years, based on measurement accuracy, outstanding prosecutability, flexible deployment options, and digital incident documentation. 

Under the same traffic conditions, VITRONIC devices capture between four and five times the number of incidents that competing products do. In 2011, VITRONIC was named the best provider of traffic monitoring systems by the Dubai Police in recognition of the crucial role that VITRONIC, a partner of the Emirate's police, has played in reducing the number of road fatalities in Dubai.

To continually deliver uncompromising system quality, a calibration facility has been set-up in which the systems deployed in Oman can be tested locally in Muscat.  Here they will be tested and serviced to the highest standards. This ensures consistent, maximum accuracy of measurements and the highest level of legal compliance. VITRONIC Machine Vision Middle East LLC provides these services on-site.

PoliScan systems for speed and red light enforcement operate using a measuring principle based on LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this, a fan-shaped scanning laser records the speed and position of all vehicles within the enforcement area. By avoiding induction loops and piezo sensors in the road, the system can concurrently detect multiple incidents on several lanes, and is even able to detect vehicles which are tailgating or changing lanes. Unlike radar-based systems, laser-based measurement can be used without problems along road works, on curved roads and inside tunnels.  Speeding vehicles can even be detected in heavy traffic, as this enforcement system does not produce allocation errors. The system cannot produce incorrect measurements, even when incorrectly installed or aligned.  This is a significant advantage for mobile enforcement that cannot be matched by radar-based equipment.

The devices used in Oman correspond to the devices in Germany which carry a type approval from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and are equipped with high-resolution color cameras along with the laser measuring unit (LIDAR).  During red light enforcement, a video camera captures two rear images and a video sequence of the incident in addition to two frontal images produced by the measurement system. 

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Contact:     
Patrick Schulze
Marketing & PR
Traffic Technology
Phone: +49-(0)611-7152-418
patrick.schulze[at]vitronic.com