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

  • Mondato report says African transactions to grow
    November 3, 2014
    Person-to-business (P2B) mobile-initiated transactions across the five leading sub- Saharan African countries will grow nearly tenfold over the next five years, from $2.9 billion in 2013 to $28 billion.
  • Last chance to submit research papers for 2014 ITS World Congress
    January 9, 2014
    There is just a week left before the 15 January deadline for submission of scientific or technical papers for the 21st World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems and ITS America Annual Meeting, to be held on 7-11 September in Detroit, Michigan. Approved paper submissions will be presented in Detroit and automatically be considered for publication in one of three noted ITS journals, namely: The Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems, IET Intelligent Transport Systems, or the International Jour
  • Intelligent motorcycle warns rider of hazards
    April 23, 2013
    An instrumented motorcycle is on display at ITS America as part of a joint project with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the US Motorcycle Foundation. The Honda Goldwing motorcycle has been fitted with smart display which warns the rider of vehicles ahead braking sharply, vehicles in the blind spot, approaching intersections and other hazards.
  • A view of mobility for the next generation
    March 10, 2017
    We wanted to know what mobility will look like for the next generation, so we asked those who would be shaping and using it – the next generation themselves. A group of students studying under Professor Dr Regine Gerike at Technical University Dresden gave us a wide range of stimulating responses. See our website for the full discussion: