Skip to main content

Australia steps up to next level of ITS deployment

The recent 2013 Australian ITS summit revealed that Australia is moving rapidly from test beds and pilots to real world applications of new ITS technologies, especially in the vehicle sector. The summit identified some next steps in technology to improve Australia’s transport networks, including: integrated public transport systems; interoperability of communications and ITS platforms; totally integrated multi-modal, real time traveller information; roll out of managed motorway systems; and autonomous ve
September 30, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The recent 2013 Australian ITS summit revealed that Australia is moving rapidly from test beds and pilots to real world applications of new ITS technologies, especially in the vehicle sector.

The summit identified some next steps in technology to improve Australia’s transport networks, including: integrated public transport systems; interoperability of communications and ITS platforms; totally integrated multi-modal, real time traveller information; roll out of managed motorway systems; and autonomous vehicles and “platooning” to increase road network capacity and safety.

858 ITS Australia president Brian Negus said Australia’s third biennial summit demonstrated an energised convergence of government, industry and academia to focus on both the forward strategy for national ITS, and the actual projects and initiatives required to deliver improved mobility, safety and sustainable travel.

“Governments are recognising that ITS applications can ‘sweat the asset’, but clearly the challenge is to get more funding into the sector. This amplifies the need to demonstrate the real benefits from the trials being run,” he said.

Summit delegates learned there is great synergy between the strategies and initiatives across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, and Australia was recognised as a leading developer and installer of ITS.

Chairman of 560 ITS America Peter Sweatman, who was a keynote speaker, emphasised the renowned capability of Australia in the international ITS industry, highlighting in particular the areas of road safety and freight where he considers Australia to be a world leader.

ITS Australia chief executive officer Susan Harris said it was satisfying to see a wider range of ITS representatives at this year’s summit, including delegates from spatial and mapping, transport and logistics, transit, traffic sensing and other specialist fields.

“The varied inputs at the summit reflected the need for and importance of clear policies and strategies to ensure that key industry issues are addressed. This is critical to get traction in priority areas in an industry that is so diverse and technically complex,” she said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS Australia introduces Woman of the Year Award
    June 7, 2024
    New category designed 'to celebrate and elevate the increasing impact of women' in ITS
  • What are MaaS lessons from Covid?
    October 12, 2021
    As the world, or at least parts of it, pull out of the Covid pandemic, lessons have been learned that will greatly shape Mobility as a Service globally, according to speakers at the MaaS/MoD Global Forum
  • Delay costly upgrades with intelligent transport systems
    September 12, 2013
    Three Parsons Brinckerhoff transport specialists will present at the Australian Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Summit in Sydney on 18-20 September. Parsons Brinckerhoff ITS Technical Executive, Kim Thomas, said the specialists will stimulate discussion about systems engineering and how to develop smarter transport solutions that make road operations safer and more efficient.
  • Western Australia preparing for autonomous vehicles
    February 25, 2015
    Western Australia’s transportation agency, Main Roads, has prepared a report, Automated vehicles: Are we ready?, that highlights the implications of the introduction and wider use of automated vehicles (AVs), or driverless cars on Western Australian roads. The report says that AV technology is developing so rapidly that these cars may be seen on the Western Australia road network sooner than expected, fundamentally changing the transport network. Driverless trucks have been operating in some Western Austra