Skip to main content

Asia Pacific dignitaries to see connected vehicle showcases at ITS World Congress

ITS Japan will use advances in the country’s ITS capabilities since it last hosted the event in 2004 as the basis of several showcases and sessions the forthcoming World Congress (Tokyo 14 – 18 October), the association’s president Hajime Amano told ITS International.
June 14, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
ITS Japan's president Hajime Amano
%$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 9782 0 oLinkInternal <span class="oLinkInternal"><span class="oLinkInternal">RSS</span></span> Events (Diary) false /rss/events/ true false%>556 ITS Japan will use advances in the country’s ITS capabilities since it last hosted the event in 2004 as the basis of several showcases and sessions the forthcoming World Congress (Tokyo 14 – 18 October), the association’s president Hajime Amano told ITS International.

Two years ago Japan deployed a connected vehicle infrastructure and is in the second phase of testing connected vehicle systems and these will form the basis for a number of showcases and sessions. One idea heading for a trial is differentiated tolling by route rather than simply on distance and will reference the start and end point of the journey and apply a lower charge for drivers selecting a longer but less congested route.

“Simply charging by distance means people will tend to take the shortest route even if it is the most congested,” Amano said.

The country’s drivers are quick to adopt ITS technology and 90% of vehicles travelling on Japan’s toll roads are fitted with electronic tolling while half of all vehicles have satnav with live traffic overlays.

The Congress will cover a range of automated and connected vehicle technologies such as driver assistance systems and include demonstrations and discussions with vehicle manufacturers. “Here in Japan we have major concerns about the mobility of our rapidly ageing population and we are looking for systems tailored to the needs of elderly drivers,” he said, adding that ageing drivers is a world-wide problem.  

Another area that will be explored at length is ‘Big Data’ with a look at the opportunities it offers in terms of personal mobility and policy performance measurement. Presenters from both the public and private sectors are expected.  

A large number of delegates are expected from the wider Asia Pacific region including a number of ministers, vice ministers and high ranking public officials. Traffic problems in these regions are well known both in terms of congestion and road traffic casualties. “These countries are willing to invest in infrastructure so Congress represents a good opportunity for commercial companies,” suggests Amano.  

Speakers and sessions are still being confirmed and regular updates are being posted on %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal www.itsworldcongress.jp www.itsworldcongress.jp false http://www.itsworldcongress.jp/ false false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Blue Systems showcases Safence cable barrier system
    March 24, 2014
    Human beings will always make mistakes. Which is why Sweden has, for many years, aimed to build roads that are able to ‘forgive’ those errors. With that in mind, Sweden’s Blue Systems is showing its Safence cable barrier system, which is experiencing a new lease of life in several countries.
  • ITS Leadership to engage in an exchanging of ideas meeting ahead of ITS World Congress
    October 4, 2017
    Three of the top people behind this year’s ITS World Congress will visit Montreal and Toronto before the event to meet government and business leaders in an exchange of ideas. The president and CEO of ITS America, David St. Amant and ITS Canada Chairman and CEO, Chris Philp, the chairman of the 2017 World Congress, Claude Carette and the Montreal’s Executive Committee Member for Transportation, Aref Salem will hold discussions with civic officials and key exhibitors about collaborations
  • Loop detection alternative from Wavetronix
    October 16, 2012
    Wavetronix is adopting a low-key presence at this year’s ITS World Congress in Vienna, and will be appearing in the ITS America pavilion. The company’s message, ‘Rise Above the Road,’ encourages transportation professionals to move away from loops and embrace SmartSensor HD as an accurate alternative. But the secondary message is a declaration that SmartSensor HD is now an active part of European ITS programmes, with significant deployments in Denmark, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. “Agencies under
  • Flashing LED from Ninghai Qinghua improves guard rail visibility
    March 26, 2014
    Increased road safety is claimed for a novel system from Ninghai Qinghua Electrical designed to improve the conspicuity of guard rails. This solar powered lighting system can be mounted on top of the barrier and features reliable LED technology, using flashing to ensure drivers can see the barriers clearly from a distance or in poor weather conditions with heavy rain or fog.