Skip to main content

ITS can reduce Bangkok’s congestion, improve safety

A new research report produced by the GSMA, Building Digital Societies in Asia: Making Transportation Smarter, indicates that the successful implementation of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in Thailand’s capital could reduce travel times, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and road accidents, driving social and economic benefits of up to US$1 billion per year. In addition, the case study on Bangkok’s transportation indicated that ITS can also potentially result in long-term positive changes in commuter hab
August 24, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A new research report produced by the 2246 GSMA, Building Digital Societies in Asia: Making Transportation Smarter, indicates that the successful implementation of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in Thailand’s capital could reduce travel times, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and road accidents, driving social and economic benefits of up to US$1 billion per year. In addition, the case study on Bangkok’s transportation indicated that ITS can also potentially result in long-term positive changes in commuter habits and encourage citizens to use safe and environmentally friendly ways of commuting.

“There is a growing recognition of the significant benefits ITS can have on the environment, in improving productivity, safety and overall quality of life,” said Chris Zull, the GSMA’s spectrum director for Asia. “ITS solutions have been successfully implemented around the world, particularly in developed countries, to address major transportation challenges. As mobile connectivity rates in Asia rise exponentially, dense metropolitan centres like Bangkok have a real opportunity to dramatically improve traffic flow, increase productivity, reduce vehicular pollution and even save lives.”

ITS solutions integrate communication and information technology applications into the management and operation of transportation systems across all modes of transport. ITS applications range from traveller information and traffic management solutions to transport pricing and payment systems, as well as pedestrian and vehicle safety applications. In a typical ITS solution, data collected from vehicles, infrastructure or users is aggregated, analysed and then delivered back to them, allowing for better informed and more timely commute decisions.

Increasing urbanisation around the world is putting more stress on city planners to make transportation infrastructure more efficient and safer. As the world becomes increasingly connected, advanced applications such as ITS provide innovative solutions to better manage traffic and enable users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and ‘smarter’ use of transport networks.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Benefits of investment in ITS technologies
    October 19, 2012
    What price can be put on the value of a life? How much should be spent on preventing untimely deaths? Difficult questions such as these help to put the comparatively small costs of ITS systems into context. While monetary analysis may seem cold and inhumane in consideration of road casualties, death and costly clear-up are often the stark reality transportation authorities are dealing with. This issue of ITS International contains numerous examples of large benefits to be gained from relatively modest inves
  • A happy Friday from iNet!
    December 8, 2021
    Wouldn’t it be nice if sitting in traffic for an hour on a Friday after work didn’t have to be your reality? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little more of your weekend back?
  • Improving urban traffic control in Atlanta
    January 27, 2012
    Hugh Colton, Georgia DOT details move to improve urban traffic control in the Atlanta area. With a significant proportion of traffic using freeways and toll-ways, along with a significant investment in roadway infrastructure, urban arterials are often the poor relation when it comes to ITS investment. Hitherto the primary means of Urban Traffic Control (UTC) has been the ubiquitous traffic signal. Many traffic signals still operate in a standalone mode and traffic detection is often broken, leaving the sign
  • What Citizen Kane can teach transportation engineers
    July 14, 2023
    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...