Australia's Intelligent Transport System in the Works

After earlier this year, during the 2009 Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Summit in Melbourne, a so called "vision plan" aimed at improving Australia's transportation system was presented, local governments gave their green light for further research on the project and forwarded March 2010 as the deadline for the first conclusions to be drawn.

The plan, structured in fifteen points, calls for measures to be taken for improving road and rail safety, network management, public transport operation, freight industry efficiency, security and emergency planning, travel and traveler information and reducing environmental impact. All these goals are focus around Australia's biggest road system problem: distance.

“Distance, whether it is across our country or to reach our markets, has always been our number one transport challenge,” Norm Pigeon, ITS Australia president said according to GoAuto. “This ITS vision document will be translated into an action plan for agreement by the major stakeholders."

Still, the document drafted so far is merely a sketch, with no actual solutions or measures to be taken. What all the parties involved in the talks agreed upon the need for the implementation of a computer and communications systems to supervise the Australia transport system. The need for a common architecture and standards for communications, data treatment and sharing has also been highlighted.

As a consequence, those attending the summit (including governments, public transport organizations, freight companies, traffic authorities, motor companies, academia and technology providers), agreed on a new meeting to be held in Queensland in 2011.