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

  • Imtech brings ImFlow and ImCity solutions to Intertraffic
    March 24, 2014
    The Traffic & Infrastructure division of Imtech, the global, Netherlands-headquartered technical services and ICT company, is exhibiting a vast array of transport-related solutions and services from across Europe, North America and Brazil. This year’s exhibits demonstrate live projects from across the global business, from traffic management systems in Copenhagen and St. Petersburg to parking technology in Rio de Janeiro, tunnel solutions in Maastricht to telecommunications networks in Brussels. The company
  • Towards a more efficient use of transport research infrastructures
    September 16, 2013
    The European Transport Research Alliance (ETRA) has organised a one day conference on ways towards facilitating the wider and more balanced use of (large) transport research infrastructures in Europe as well as facilitating the linking of relevant research data bases and exchanges of data. The idea is to promote this cooperation and networking of research infrastructures as part of the process for creating the ERA–T, the European Research Area in the field of transport. The conference takes place on 10 Octo
  • Looking for the next generation of smart city innovators
    July 24, 2015
    With the aim of fostering innovation and developing the next generation of technology talent, GE Lighting has become the founding sponsor of a unique new urban regeneration initiative, the Intelligent Community Challenge. Centred on a design competition, the initiative aims to crowd source new perspectives and fresh ideas on key urban challenges such as public safety, crime, social inclusion, traffic and pollution, by uniting local councils, communities and university students to develop intelligent and inn
  • Riverdating – barge to business
    October 22, 2014
    European cooperation between key players in the sector has developed inland navigation as a competitive transport mode. Waterway transport is an environmentally sustainable transport mode that also brings innovative solutions to the current logistics challenges. The next Riverdating event in Luxembourg on 19 and 20 November provides a forum for exchange and dialogue between stakeholders of demand and supply in waterway logistics and enables individual business meetings between companies looking for mult