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

  • InDriver’s ride-hailing app allows NYC users to negotiate fares
    December 12, 2018
    InDriver has launched its ride-hailing app in New York City (NYC) which allows the driver and passenger to negotiate lower fares. The app allows users to set a fare for a selected route. Nearby drivers receive the destination and fare and can either accept or bargain for more money. The passenger receives multiple offers from drivers, allowing them to make a choice based on fare amount, driver ratings, estimated time of arrival and vehicle make/model. The service is available to communities in Brooklyn,
  • ITS World Congress 2018: call for contributions extended to 19 January
    January 15, 2018
    The final Call for Contributions deadline for ITS World Congress 2018 in Copenhagen has been extended to the 19 January 2018. The event presents an opportunity for mobility experts and professionals from three regions to exchange ideas and best practices on how ITS solutions create fresh and innovative possibilities in the mobility sector. Submission papers and session proposals are encouraged to enhance the interaction between speakers and the audience and to increase the sharing of knowledge and
  • Impact of MaaS on taxi firms under spotlight at MaaS Market Conference
    January 24, 2019
    The impact of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) on the taxi and private hire sector will come under close scrutiny at the 2019 MaaS Market Conference in London on 20-21 March. Lauri Suokannas, head of business development for Helsinki Taxis, will share his company’s experience in participating in the MaaS platform that has been operating in the city since November 2017. Not only are such services seen by many as the future for urban transport, globally MaaS is also predicted to replace 2.3 billion urban priv
  • EPA/Polis workshop – a standardised approach for on-street parking
    June 30, 2014
    Polis and the European Parking Association have arranged a joint workshop in Lisbon on the final day of the Iberian Parking Congress, 19 September, focused on standardised solutions for on-street parking, including technologies to support parking management. The workshop will provide attendees with information: New planning and tendering approaches to integrate parking management better in urban transport policy; and technologies for on-street parking management and enforcement (sensors, ANPR, integrat