Skip to main content

Sharing real-time information ‘could save the transport sector billions each year’

A European research project led by Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands makes real-time information available for the whole transport chain for the first time. The GET Service software platform, which is being presented at an international symposium in Rotterdam on 1 October, enables a flexible response to unforeseen circumstances, making transport faster, more environmentally friendly and cheaper each year by many billions. The researchers are confident that the total fuel consumption
September 29, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A European research project led by Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands makes real-time information available for the whole transport chain for the first time.

The GET Service software platform, which is being presented at an international symposium in Rotterdam on 1 October, enables a flexible response to unforeseen circumstances, making transport faster, more environmentally friendly and cheaper each year by many billions. The researchers are confident that the total fuel consumption in the EU can be reduced by some 2 billion litres and CO2 emissions cut by 6.5 million annually.

A collaborative project involving transport companies and research institutions, led by researchers Remco Dijkman and Paul Grefen, has spent three years developing a software platform that allows transport routes to be adjusted in the light of unforeseen circumstances.

GET Service solves a major problem in the transport sector, say the researchers. It makes real-time information available for every transporter, about the location of goods, how busy the road is, the weather conditions and more. This kind of information is currently lacking and planning is made in advance. “What is holding transporter back is a fear of market share if they share information,” Dijkman says.

This widely backed European platform, largely funded by the European Union, is intended to put an end to this problem. The platform enables plans to be made and adjusted on the basis of up-to-the-minute information and the availability of transport. The researchers are confident that the total fuel consumption in the EU can be reduced by some 2 billion litres and CO2 emissions cut by 6.5 million annually by improving the use of environmentally-friendly means of transport and cutting the number of ‘empty’  trucks on the road.

Partners in the project include Eindhoven University of Technology, Portbase in Rotterdam, IBM Research in Zürich, Jan de Rijk Logistics in Roosendaal, PTV in Karlsruhe, Wirtschaftuniversität in Vienna and Exus in Athens.

Related Content

  • Precise costs and emissions for uphill driving
    August 3, 2012
    Germany-headquartered PTV has announced the new map&guide service pack that significantly improves the calculation of pollutant emissions in road transport. The software now includes altitude data for all European countries so that transport operators have access to precise information on CO2 emissions and other pollutants depending on uphill and downhill gradients. Consequently, the software delivers results that are far more precise and meaningful. Moreover, PTV states that costs (diesel consumption) can
  • ITS can reduce Bangkok’s congestion, improve safety
    August 24, 2015
    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
  • map&guide targets green logistics
    July 18, 2012
    Germany-headquartered PTV claims that the current version of map&guide professional sets new standards for green logistics and transports and provides a wide range of additional useful features. Version 2009 offers what PTV claims is an extremely significant innovation, the emissions calculator, which allows dispatchers to calculate emissions, such as CO2, based on routes. The software uses official data provided by the German Environment Agency for the calculation process. PTV says map&guide professional i
  • Nothing basic about universal basic mobility
    May 5, 2022
    The concept of universal basic mobility is here: but Shared-Use Mobility Center CEO Benjamin de la Peña tells Ben Spencer that such schemes may not be looking at the right targets