The European transport system is confronted with many challenges and congestion remains a serious problem for more than just the citizens. Costs are also a problem as they stand at 1-1.5% of the European GDP and amount to several hundred euros per capita a year. If urgent measures are not adopted, there will be 4 billion vehicles by 2050, 4 times more than at present. Apart from all these, there is the management problem of energy resources and supply of mobility services which should persuade citizens to choose public transport. In fact, the economic, social and environmental sectors depend on intelligent solutions whose implementation could reduce traffic congestion costs by 10%.
The Intelligent Transport Systems is the solution to the development of a sustainable and efficient transport system. Vienna is in the top of the cities with a high level of life quality and owns one of the most efficient public transport systems. The volume of passengers will double by 2015 and the answer to this challenge comes from the implementation of infrastructure projects and technological systems. The authorities have implemented many projects with latest technologies and we will carry out tests over the next period in order to make them functional”, declared the Austrian Minister of Transport, Madame Doris Bures, at the 19th edition of the ITS World Congress (Vienna, October 2012).
ITS systems use IT, communications and real-time information technologies and help reduce congestion, pollution, the number of accidents and to increase the speed of public transport vehicles. This is something that leads to a higher public transport share.
“Intelligent systems will stimulate public transport use. ITS technologies are fundamental for transport and we do need to develop them. ITS systems will become a real generator of public transport growth”, declared the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas.
One of the key applications of the ITS in the urban area is the introduction of the ticketing systems which bring significant benefits in transports, such as the integration of services, facilitation of the interoperability between different public transport systems, the significant change of the distribution process (reducing distribution costs, implementing intelligent online payment and ticket sale systems), increasing the speed of vehicles and reducing maintenance costs (less components/devices are used). “As potential implementation choices one can consider the use of dedicated applications and Smart Cards, other choices rely on virtual tickets (electronic – SMS, Email) and identity security and banking cards processing”, declared Alexandre Blaquiere, Investment Director, Toulouse Public Transport Authority and member of ITS Group of Experts.
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