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

  • Here: AI has place in ‘privacy by design’
    June 23, 2020
    Artificial intelligence may improve traffic in cities and keep location data private, but Here Technologies shows that it only takes four points of anonymous data to predict your identity.
  • What actually happens if we do #FreetheMIBs?
    May 1, 2020
    Q-Free’s #FREEtheMIBs campaign highlights the use of manufacturer-specific data output, storage and communication protocols in traffic lights and ITS systems.
  • Øresund bridges the front line for border crossing traffic
    September 15, 2016
    Timothy Compston considers the challenges faced by the operators of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, the largest structure of its kind across Europe. In light of the concerns about the ongoing security threat and the unprecedented flow of migrants, many of the countries that make up the Schengen Area in Europe have re-introduced border controls. For its part, Sweden has rolled out ID checks for train, bus and ferry passengers from Denmark placing the landmark Øresund Bridge very much on the fr
  • The need to accelerate systems standardisation
    January 31, 2012
    While the US has achieved an appreciable level of success when it comes to implementation of standards-based systems at the urban and intersection control levels, the overall standards implementation effort is not progressing at anywhere near a level commensurate with the size of the country and its population, says Christy Peebles, business unit manager with Siemens Industry, Inc.'s Mobility Division. She attributes the situation to a number of factors: "There's a big element of 'Not Invented Here' syndro