ITS South Africa sees a perfect storm as spending is squeezed

The argument for cost-benefit analysis of ITS has never been so strong, according to Dr Paul Vorster, CEO of ITS South Africa, as the industry finds itself “in the eye of a perfect storm. There are escalating demands for solutions to strategic challenges such as cutting congestion, and improving and expanding mobility by moving people out of private vehicles and into public and non-motorised transport.
August 10, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Dr Paul Vorster

The argument for cost-benefit analysis of ITS has never been so strong, according to Dr Paul Vorster, CEO of 6992 ITS South Africa, as the industry finds itself “in the eye of a perfect storm. There are escalating demands for solutions to strategic challenges such as cutting congestion, and improving and expanding mobility by moving people out of private vehicles and into public and non-motorised transport. 

“At the same time, budgets are constrained and both transport authorities and operators are under pressure to cut back on capital investment, reduce their running costs and maximise the benefits of money spent”. Behind these constraints, “some very powerful forces are combining to effect strong leverage on ITS deployment”, said Vorster - a management committee member of 8359 IBEC (the International Benefits Evaluation Community).

“South Africa,” he told ITS International, “is experiencing such a perfect storm to a magnified degree. So are many other countries with emerging economies that are facing rapid urbanisation and insufficient infrastructure to meet demands for mobility.”

At a May 2016 ITS South Africa workshop on the issue, delegates heard that exotic ‘bespoke’ solutions can significantly increase the costs of designing, building, maintaining and operating an ITS solution. Instead, the focus should be on what is needed, rather than wanted, and on delivering a core system that is fit for purpose and delivers optimum benefits.
In the specific area of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems – in which South Africa, like other countries, is currently investing heavily – stringent reviews of early implementations in Johannesburg and Cape Town have highlighted the need to modify design specifications to achieve an improved cost-benefit ratio.

IBEC’s mission, Dr Vorster concluded, is to encourage the growth of an international community of cost-benefit proponents to support the ITS industry.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Asecap Days delves beneath the surface of tolling
    August 8, 2017
    Colin Sowman picks his highlights from Asecap’s 45th annual Study and Information Days in Paris. European tolling association Asecap holds annual Study & Information Days, provides delegates with updates on the latest moves and thinking in the tolling sector and is a key meeting place for concessionaires from 22 countries. The importance of road transport to the French economy was highlighted by the country’s director general of transport infrastructures, François Poupard, in the opening session. He told th
    Read More
  • German authorities use CB-radio message to reduce accidents in roadworks
    April 8, 2014
    Citizen Band radio is proving useful to prevent accidents in Germany’s roadworks. In common with other German Länder (federal regions) with large volumes of commercial vehicles using their trunk road networks, Bavaria had been experiencing high levels of road traffic accidents (RTAs) involving heavy trucks in the vicinity of minor motorway maintenance sites. This was despite the extensive visual warning regulations published in the German federal road safety audit (RSA) guidelines for the protection of site
    Read More
  • Cost-effective alternatives to traditional loops
    February 1, 2012
    Traffic signal control is a mainstay of urban congestion management. Despite advances in vehicle detection sensors, inductive loops, which operate by using a magnetic field to detect the metal components in vehicles, are still the most common enabler for intelligent signalised junctions.
    Read More
  • Transit takes on demanding role
    April 2, 2021
    Community transport - or paratransit - has historically formed the basis of demand-responsive operations. But with new routing technologies, David Crawford sees wider potential
    Read More

Highlighted Content