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Recommendation |
Core Committee for ITS Planning, Development & Deployment in IndiaTo With accidents still taking an unacceptable toll on life and limb; uncertainty rife on the future of fossil fuel; pollution and congestion challenging the quality of life of societies; countries around the world have been working on solutions to make their road transportation as safe, secure and sustainable as possible. The integration of more recent location and information based technologies into vehicles, infrastructure, traffic management and traveler information services, termed Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) has shown dramatic improvements in the safe, efficient mobility of people and freight in European nations, Australia, Japan, Korea and North America. The Association of Intelligent Transport Systems (AITS), India set-up in 2000, has been working to raise awareness of ITS among policy and decision-makers. It has developed two position papers for ITS development in India for TIFAC. In the approach paper we have mentioned inorder to develop sustainable ITS in India , a Core Group needs to be formulated. The Government of India plays a critical role to deliver “real” world-class infrastructure to it’s people, which in today’s world means deploying ITS and ensuring safe, secure and transport systems for all. To make ITS cost-effective and affordable across the length and breadth of the vast country, various policies that affect road transportation technologies and services will need to be harmonized and a proper balance of obligations among vehicle manufacturers, road authorities, systems integrators and information providers need to be constantly worked on. Such an initiative will not only infinitely improve mobility of people and freight through India, it will also support Indian vehicle manufacturing, ICT and mapping sectors to leapfrog to the 21st century multi-billion international market ITS technologies and services. A Government of India Core Committee
for ITS Development in India is therefore recommended with members
from the various relevant central Ministries and Departments. The traditional three basic elements that are involved in making safe mobility possible, include the vehicle, driver, and infrastructure. Over the past decades, the fourth element that has revolutionized the way transport is planned and managed is location, information and communication technologies. 1. Vehicle First-generation systems focused more on the vehicle as an isolated unit capable of gathering some external inputs but operating mostly within its own sphere of information. The vehicle has been the focus of many safety improvements over the years, including seatbelts and airbags. But today, the vehicle is not seen as a singular element in the roadway environment. It is increasingly encompassing second-generation or cooperative systems to manage the vehicle’s performance in the context of an overall system. The new “intelligent” vehicle is able to: • Link with one another, as well as exchange information with the roadway infrastructure as more data and information are acquired • Integrate with sensors, system architecture, software, and positioning technologies to be part of a larger road safety system. • Support the driver and other road users through enhancing: - Safe speed 2. Human(Driver) While ultimately, there is no replacement for the human mind and its ability to process complex inputs, render judgment, and take appropriate action, however, technology can improve the driver’s ability to make good and safe decisions. The average driver may be fatigued, prone to mistakes or poor judgment on speeds and distances, or distracted. Human factors research focuses on achieving safe and reliable results under these less-than-optimal conditions. Ultimately, it is imperative that the driver, vehicle, infrastructure and management components work together in a harmonious way, sometimes referred to as “cooperative driving.” Industry is spending considerable time trying to understand driver behavior in crash and non-crash situations to better determine the nature of this integration and improve on it to promote safety and efficiency. Governments are also promoting information platforms that allow travelers to access real-time multi-modal information conveniently, to be able to make informed and efficient decisions about travel and parking. 3. Infrastructure a. Environment There is a clear need to further integrate the environment and its infrastructure elements with the vehicle. An infrastructure that includes “smart” components, such as chips on signs and signals that offer two-way communication attributes (between vehicle and infrastructure), is just a part of this enhanced environment for the driver and the vehicle. Obviously, this is a long-term initiative, but one that must be advanced today. Meanwhile, equipping the vehicle with the ability to recognize infrastructure features, such as traffic signals and signs, will bridge this technology gap until penetration of smart features is sufficiently thorough to result in the desired safety and efficiency benefits. b. Traveler information and management systems The dramatic spread of ICT products and services has become a powerful medium to value add to safe, efficient transportation and traveler information services. Real time information on road, weather and traffic to travelers through the internet, mobile phones, pda’s, fixed lines, etc; parking and intermodal transit support facilities, help travelers spend less time on the roads, thereby reducing congestion and pollution. Prior information also makes for calmer and safer driving. Access to real-time traffic conditions to management agencies allows for rapid responses to routine and unusual events by the various agencies involved with emergency management operations and enhances security. Need for a Multi-disciplinary Core Committee for ITS in India The obvious relationship between political and organizational leadership and the advancement of ITS technologies to ensure substantive safety, security and sustainability improvements is well established around the world. Much of what is being advanced in the developed countries is the result of leadership that crosses all boundaries in the transportation, information and communication sectors. Leaders at the highest levels of government have made strong commitments to improving vehicle, transport and traffic management systems and have established national goals for fatality reduction, pollution, fuel dependence, etc. ITS has played an important role in working toward realization of all these goals. The national Government plays a key role for: 1. Setting the Safety, Security and Sustainability agenda In developing countries like India, the belief in safety and sustainability as core values of society needs to established and institutionalized by the Central Government, through the various ministries and departments involved with transportation and information technologies and services. It is only through a top-down leadership commitment to fatality reduction and sustainability that developing nations, including India, can follow through with regionally relevant and effective R&D, design and operation of ITS technologies and services. The series of natural and man-made
disasters occurring at alarming regularity has put security as a
top priority for Governments around the world in planning and managing
transportation services. In India too, this needs to enhanced focus.
Various policies under different Ministries and Departments, including, Auto Policy, Auto Fuel Policy, National Urban Transport Policy, Road Safety Policy, Road Policy, National Tourism Policy (draft)’ National Multimodal Freight Policy; all mention ITS directly or indirectly. These need to be harmonized to ensure cost-effectives and interoperability. (Enclosure of policies in Annexure I) 3. Helping develop a “Code of Practice” Many developed countries, notably European nations, Japan, Australia, Korea and Taiwan have evolved their own “Codes of Practice” that supports the deployment of some of the most impressive and valuable technologies. A Core Committee for ITS in India will help evolve institutional systems to help industry and users to maximize benefits of ITS deployment. Initiatives like NATRIP and the ITS Center of Excellence by AITS will greatly contribute in this area. 4. Saving money Learning from ITS developments around the world and setting-up strategic collaborations will contribute to large savings of research money and time, as well as make significant improvements in the country’s transportation system. The Core Committee will help evaluate innovative foreign technologies and practices from multi-sectoral perspectives. This approach will harmonise investments being made in ITS R&D by various Ministries. It will also help identify advanced technology already being used in other countries to be adapted and put into practice in India. This is a much more cost-effective approach than spending scarce research funds to re-invent the wheel. 5. Bridging the gap between the automotive industry and government policymakers Alignment of ITS and safety technologies and services is not an easy task anywhere. Various technologies like mapping and navigation, electronics, ICT, road standards, traffic design, etc. creating opportunities, identifying roadblocks, etc. needs to be undertaken. Setting up the ITS Core Committee will facilitate promotion of effective standards and policies for better coordination between automobile manufacturers, ICT industry and government policies. It will contribute to fostering the strong sense of collaboration between public agencies and private-sector organizations like in the European Union and Japan. A cooperation that exists in areas such as funding, research, joint public-private working groups focused on specific issues, information protocols, and others. 6. Addressing special challenges While developed countries can introduce technologies, like variable message signs and other information systems with the major focus on technology development and public awareness, India has to take into account other factors like literacy, multi-lingual nature of the country, weak driver education systems, etc. The Government therefore plays a key role to help promote a holistic development of technologies and inter-governmental cooperation. Role of ITS Core Committee: • Identify goals for India, promote technologies and systems for: Safety Sustainability - Evolving a National Transport Policy
along lines of the European Transport Policy Security - Vehicle, driver and traffic monitoring
and tracking systems - National ITS Framework for India • Joint research and technology
sharing projects with international counterparts |
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