Skip to main content

Government plans to propel New Zealand transport into the future

Secretary for Transport Martin Matthews today launched an intelligent transport systems technology Action Plan that will help make transport safer and more efficient in New Zealand. The plan identifies what is needed in New Zealand for advancing the introduction of intelligent transport systems technologies. Intelligent transport systems use technologies such as sensors, computing and communications in vehicles and in transport infrastructure such as roads; and include such things as traffic control syst
June 19, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Secretary for Transport Martin Matthews today launched an intelligent transport systems technology Action Plan that will help make transport safer and more efficient in New Zealand. The plan identifies what is needed in New Zealand for advancing the introduction of intelligent transport systems technologies.

Intelligent transport systems use technologies such as sensors, computing and communications in vehicles and in transport infrastructure such as roads; and include such things as traffic control systems, advanced driver assistance, vehicle monitoring and integrated electronic ticketing.

Matthews explained that the plan takes a high-level, multi-agency approach to the introduction of new intelligent transport systems, which are becoming integral to transport in New Zealand and around the world.

“Intelligent transport systems could transform all forms of transport in coming decades,” he said. “Many technologies such as driverless cars, and the capacity for vehicles to platoon (drive closely together like train carriages by being connected electronically) are already being trialled in other countries. These sorts of technologies have the potential to fundamentally change how our transport systems work – while making them safer, more effective and more efficient.

“We are likely to see many new and exciting transport systems in the future. Some may even be transformational. For example, vehicles of the future may be so well equipped they are almost impossible to crash. We want to make sure New Zealand is able to take advantage of these technologies and reap their benefits as soon possible.”

Related Content

  • July 14, 2023
    What Citizen Kane can teach transportation engineers
    Andy Boenau suggests that one of the most famous movies of all time might have lessons for our industry. And they’re all about not knowing things...
  • December 18, 2024
    Huawei opens door to new opportunities in transport & logistics
    By addressing the four key elements of a transportation network’s composition with a state-of-the-art digital solution, Huawei is bringing significant performance uplifts to all aspects of railway operations
  • January 31, 2012
    Managing congestion, better information changes perceptions
    Kapsch's Dietrich Leihs talks about the true fundamentals of urban pricing. In some Italian and German towns and cities, the solution to congestion is an outright ban on certain types of vehicles. As far as Dietrich Leihs is concerned, any attempt to sweeten the pill that is congestion charging is only ever going to be a partial success at best.
  • February 1, 2012
    Cooperative systems - traffic management centres of the future?
    What will the traffic management centre of the future see and do? TNO's Frans op de Beek, who was responsible for putting together the Cooperative Mobility Demonstrations which included the Traffic Management Centre at this year's Intertraffic exhibition in Amsterdam, offers some insights. The road tours and demonstrations which took place at this year's Intertraffic to mark the conclusion of COOPERS, CVIS and SAFESPOT, the European Commission's (EC's) three major cooperative mobility projects, gave visitor