Skip to main content

Assocations news around the globe

There will be no roadside parking in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, 15 years from now, predicts ITS Finland’s CEO Sampo Hietanen. “Instead, a self-driving car will pick you up within in ten minutes of your pressing a button on your smartphone. The car will continue its journey once you have reached your destination.”
October 29, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Parking in Helsinki

ITS Finland

Helsinki ponders smart solutions

There will be no roadside parking in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, 15 years from now, predicts 7350 ITS Finland’s CEO Sampo Hietanen. “Instead, a self-driving car will pick you up within in ten minutes of your pressing a button on your smartphone. The car will continue its journey once you have reached your destination.”

By 2030, he continues, self-driving cars will account for the vast majority of the country's road transport. “People will have reclaimed the streets, with wide cycleways being common and trees growing in places that only a few years previously were occupied by cars hour after hour.

“Helsinki's concept of city boulevards is starting to sound really smart. But who will manage the system? You can't be fully content if it's Google.” Finland, he believes, has “only a couple of years to create a system that also allows local service providers to thrive. The opportunities are real. But, if we're not on our toes today, someone else will make the revolutionary step and we'll have to follow the leader.”

  • %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 ITS UK ITS United Kingdom false #ITSUK true false%>
  • %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkInternal ITS Italia ITSItalia false #ITSItaly true false%>
  • %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkInternal ITS Australia ITS OZ false #ITSAustralia true false%>

ITS UK

ITS UK launches the first  young professionals group

288 ITS UK has launched a young professionals' interest group – a first for any national ITS association, believes general secretary Jennie Martin. It responds, she says, to a shortage of new recruits entering the ITS field, and the science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector generally.

A key role will be to give the industry “valuable intelligence” on best practice in recruiting, developing and retaining young people. Inaugural chair is Mara Makoni, of consultants Mouchel, who says: “We are conscious of the immense contribution that we young professionals can make to the ITS sector and the transport industry in general, bringing fresh perspectives and challenging existing mindsets.”


ITS Italia

Italy ponders public transport procurement


4155 TTS Italia has worked closely with the new Italian Transport Authority (ITA), which became operative at the start of 2014, to help define fresh criteria for the procurement of public transport services by regional and local authorities.

The new rules are designed to encourage more open entry to the sector, greater transparency in procurement, more efficiency in management and better service levels for passengers.

TTS Italia has been joined in its efforts by members including Roma Servizi per la Mobilità, the agency that coordinates public and private transport in the Italian capital; 5T, which played a pioneering role in developing a similar role in Turin; and the national rail operator Trenitalia.

All have stressed the key role of ITS in meeting the authority's central aim of promoting and protecting competition in the transport sector.

ITA started its operations with twin investigations into rail and local public transport provision. Its other responsibilities include tolled motorways and freight movement.


ITS Australia

ITS Australia backs transport innovation centre


858 ITS Australia is collaborating with AutoCRC automotive R&D hub to support a bid for funding from the country's Department of Industry and Science for an Australian innovative transport cooperative research centre. This aims to put Australian organisations firmly among the global leaders in the ITS industry by enabling them to deliver new products for a data-driven world - for both internal use and export - that will achieve increased transport-sector productivity and reduce costs.

The initiative is aiming for extensive industry support and a wide-ranging scope for action. Established in 2005 under Australia's Cooperative Research Centre programme, AutoCRC specialises in low emission vehicle technology development.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Uber suspends Barcelona service after new regulations introduced
    February 5, 2019
    Taxi-hailing giant Uber is suspending its service in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The move comes after new regulations were passed by local authorities, according to Reuters. The company started its UberX service in the city last year. But from now on, passengers using ride-hailing services will have to wait at least 15 minutes after booking a ride before they can be picked up – thus negating one of the key selling points of companies such as Uber. Speed and convenience – as well as cost – are w
  • Workshop helps SMEs enter electric vehicles supply chain
    February 27, 2014
    The EU funded Innovative Transport SME Support Action (INTRASME) SME Opportunity Workshop in Berlin on 3 April 2014 will provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with an opportunity to understand the electric vehicle supply chain and how it can differ from the more traditional internal combustion engine vehicle supply chain process. The workshop, co-located with Supercapacitors Europe, will focus on the marketing opportunities for SMEs in the light carbon vehicle, light aircraft and smart mobility sec
  • Uber seeks to resume AV trials nearly eight months after Arizona fatality
    November 6, 2018
    Uber wants to resume testing its self-driving cars on public roads nearly eight months after one of its autonomous vehicles (AV) killed a pedestrian in Arizona. The ride-hailing company has released a voluntary safety report to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which includes safety enhancements to help prevent crashes and fatalities. Uber says its AVs would include two mission specialists – employees who have completed advanced training courses in self-driving vehicle operations. The
  • TfL describes reports of closer ties with Uber as ‘nonsense’
    December 14, 2018
    Transport for London (TfL) has described claims that it is deepening its relationship with Uber as ‘nonsense’. Media reports suggested that London’s transit authority might be going to offer customers access to public transport services via the ride-hailing firm's app. The Financial Times reported that Uber is attempting to add TfL's data about tube and bus timetables into the app. But a spokesperson from TfL told ITS International that the only thing it is putting out is open data – and does no