Skip to main content

EC promotes ''against lock-in'' approach on ITS standards

According to the European Commission (EC), open standards for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) would save the public sector €1 billion a year US$1.5 billion a year, citing Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) as one of the standards being developed in the transport domain. Launched in 1997, the UTMC programme was the UK Department for Transport (DfT) main initiative for the development of a more open approach to ITS in urban areas. UTMC systems are designed to allow the different application
August 2, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
According to the 1690 European Commission (EC), open standards for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) would save the public sector €1 billion a year US$1.5 billion a year, citing 3549 Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) as one of the standards being developed in the transport domain.

Launched in 1997, the UTMC programme was the UK 1837 Department for Transport (DfT) main initiative for the development of a more open approach to ITS in urban areas.  UTMC systems are designed to allow the different applications used within modern traffic management systems to communicate and share information with each other. Thereby a more robust and intelligent system can be used to meet current and future management requirements.

At the end of June 2013, the EC released a new policy to help public authorities avoid dependence on a single ICT supplier, together with a Guide for the procurement of standards-based ICT — Elements of Good Practice, which lists UTMC in the sources of information appendix.

The EC states that following the recommendations in this new "against lock-in" approach could save the EU's public sector more than US$1.5 billion a year. For example, open tendering procedures can attract increased numbers of bidders with better value bids (doubling the number of bidders typically lowers contract size by 9 per cent).

The full story and a copy of the guide, aimed at officials responsible for planning and purchasing ICT systems and services for public authorities, can be found on the EC %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal webpage http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/open-standards false http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/open-standards false false%>.

Related Content

  • Kria unveils more compact enforcement system
    March 25, 2014
    A growing, maturing set of enforcement applications and a new-generation system which is half the size of its predecessor are the focus on Kria’s stand. The Italian company, which specialises in 3D vision-based solutions, is finding that its open architecture solution is allowing customers’ applications to evolve in place, says company president Stefano Arrighetti.
  • European Transport Conference looks at developments in public transport
    September 3, 2015
    This year’s European Transport Conference, which takes place on 28-30 September in Frankfurt, Germany, will look at the latest research and developments in local public transport across Europe and beyond. Delegates will also have the opportunity to take part in an afternoon visit to see the public transport system in Offenbach, a small city close to Frankfurt. With the UK moving towards a regulated environment, the conference will discuss the legal and economic framework and how this will work as other
  • USDOT connected vehicle basics webinar announced
    April 3, 2014
    The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program's next T3 webinar, Connected Vehicle Basics will be held on Thursday, 24 April, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET. T3 webinars are interactive online meetings where subject matter experts present on a wide range of topics related to ITS planning, design, procurement, deployment, operations, noteworthy practices, and lessons learned. T3 Webinars are sponsored by the ITS PCB Program, which is a part of the ITS Joint Program Off
  • FHWA developing 2015 infrastructure guidance for connected vehicles
    January 23, 2014
    The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plans to issue deployment guidance on connected vehicles to transportation infrastructure owner/operators in 2015 and is seeking input on what would best support decision-making and deployments at the state and local level. The FHWA is specifically seeking input on the following: • What type of guidance is needed to best support the successful deployment of connected vehicle technologies? • What specific issues would you like to see addressed for plannin