Road Network Operations
& Intelligent Transport Systems
A guide for practitioners!
There are a great variety of ITS technologies. The basic building blocks form part of the ITS infrastructure and its supporting framework of data and information – or “info-structure” – that enables further ITS applications to be developed. For example, digital maps are an enabling technology for vehicle navigation and must be in place before navigation and route guidance services can be developed. (See Basic Info-structure). The three most widely-available enabling technologies for ITS in developing countries are Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), cellular mobile phones, and the internet.
The adoption of advanced ITS technologies in some transitional and developing countries has been very rapid. As latecomers in deploying ITS they benefit from two main advantages:
Countries without extensive legacy technical infrastructure (for example, ground telephone systems) or institutional infrastructure (such as automatic banking systems) are able to exploit mobile communications and smart card technologies with less institutional resistance.
A technology review should include all commercial and military technologies that are available. The basic considerations for comparing and choosing between them – for ITS applications – are fundamentally the same, irrespective of how communication technologies develop. A cost-benefit analysis of communications options is a basic requirement. Other important criteria for selection are:
Maintenance standards of infrastructure can also have a bearing on the type of ITS equipment to be installed. For example, if the road surface is poorly maintained, it does not make sense to lay loop detectors underneath it – since they are likely to be out of action for long periods.
ITS technology may be adapted to serve different or multiple functions. For example, in many countries automatic vehicle location using GPS is more often installed on trucks and buses for security reasons – rather than for efficient fleet dispatch. This kind of application may be mandated by government to achieve policy objectives – such as reducing crime.
Climate and weather conditions may require a particular approach. For example, in some parts of Indonesia expressway sign boards are illuminated to improve traffic sign visibility – to overcome the problem of torrential rain in the wet season followed by extremely dusty conditions in the dry season.
Other important assessment criteria include:
The organisation procuring the equipment must assess the commitment and capability of the supplier – either directly or indirectly – through a reference check. “Least cost” tenders are not necessarily the best ones as the suppliers offering them may not have the capability to deliver and may not survive in competition.
Wherever possible, when procuring ITS, it is advisable not to rely on technical specifications that will limit the supplier’s options. A better approach is to develop minimum performance requirements and insist in the tender documents that the supplier provides “proof of concept” for its solution – to show that it will deliver the required performance. This will reduce the risk of procuring end-of-life or obsolescent equipment and is more likely to achieve a good result. Safeguards should be included in the contract, such as break points. Risk sharing can be achieved through prototyping and group purchasing.