Intelligent Transport Systems
for Switzerland –
Focus on the future
Table of contents
1
Introduction
2
ITS in the Swiss context
20 5C
apacity and performance versus
environment and climate
4
Focus on the future
24 6H
igh availability requires clear
structures and processes that take
account of spatial realties
5
1R
oad safety midway between
responsibility and freedom
28
7 Involving vehicle manufacturers
creates synergies
8
2 T ransport data, privacy and
data overkill
31
8Developments in neighbouring
countries are a potential source of
synergies
12
M
3
obility pricing: a means of
road traffic management or financing?
35
9 Public
acceptance – a prerequisite
for ITS applications and services
16 4 Multimodality requires a
change of attitude
38 10 Wanted: finance and economic
business models
40
The outlook
Introduction
its-ch (intelligent transport systems switzerland) is the promoting platform
for intelligent transport systems related to the whole Swiss territory. It therefore brings together all major economic, planning, political and research
players.
The platform has the following main tasks:
• To provide information on new developments
• To discuss new developments
This brochure is the outcome of the activities up till now. It is based on the
knowledge acquired during the first five years and provides the basis for the
platform’s activities in the coming years. Goals and visions relating to ITS
applications in Switzerland will be developed at a later stage in the “ITS-CH
ground transport guiding principles 2025/30”.
The main ITS themes have been worked out at expert meetings that proceeded on a bottom-up approach, whereby supply factors (technology, ITS
applications and services) were analysed in researches on the Internet and in
technical literature as well as on a top-down approach, whereby the participants identified context-specific factors of influence and basic conditions.
These include legal bases and political decision-making processes, technical
standards and organizational aspects concerning implementation and marketing. In addition the interrelationship between ITS and motor vehicle technology, end user demands and public acceptance were analysed.
Therefore the major ITS topics of the future are not systematically justified
or backed with statistics. For simplicity reasons, they have been grouped in
clusters that reflect the relations between diverse interests and the present
challenges in the complex system of demands by the various players. The
multiple challenges highlight the questions its-ch will have to tackle with in
the future in view to shape opinions and to build and develop the ITS body
of information.
1
ITS in the Swiss context
The implementation of ITS technology faces the same challenges in
Switzerland as in other industrialized
countries. Particular concerns and
challenges arise above all in the
implementation of applications af­
fected by its specific socio-cultural
and economic conditions. The following aspects were taken into account when defining the topics:
• Settlement patterns, which are
conditioned by topography and
characterized by urban transport
modes in the “conurbation areas”
and the low populated outlying
Jura and Alpine regions.
• The strong impact of tourism, in
particular also in the outlying Alpine region, with international
tourist destinations.
• The concept of public service related to transportation and mobility, with the different conditions
regarding to the city centers and
outlying areas.
2
• The deployment of the different
modes of transport in the light of
their strengths in view of the sustainable transport policy strategy.
• The operational purposes of the
road network with the responsible authorities and the public
transportation network with the
control administrations (federal
government, cantons, cities, municipalities).
• The importance of the particular
and well-accepted public transport (PT) including the growing
influence of the combined mobility services of the PT, the non-motorized traffic and the motorized
private transport (MPT).
• The international transit traffic
with its specific demand in comparison to the domestic traffic.
The road-to-rail policy for the
trans-Alpine goods traffic has led
to a steep increase in the combined transport. ITS experiences
with the LSVA (capacity-linked
charges on heavy goods vehicles)
are being closely monitored internationally.
• The actual discussion and the increasing political acceptance of a
reliable mobility pricing takes account of an ongoing polluter-pays
principle (with regard to transport, finance and the environment).
• Switzerland’s above-average
awareness of safety issues compared to other European countries. There exists a well-established, nationwide safety advisory
system, combined with a proactive safety policy in respect to the
transport associations.
• A well-off body of consumers
with an above-average proportion
of high HP vehicles, which appreciates innovative ITS aids and
therefore ensures a higher concentration of ITS services.
• Despite a significant number of
suppliers in international terms, a
national policy that is only modestly dependent on the automobile industry.
• A strong reliance on European
programmes, standards and European Union (EU) policy decisions.
3
Focus on the future
The mentioned approach was used to define the main ITS issues of the future. The its-ch platform will have to deal with these issues in the coming
years. Key elements are the attitude towards mobility and transport-related
changes and the trend of traffic demand in Switzerland. Mobility is a basic
need and a key factor for the social and economical society. The basic challenge is not to be found in an ITS issue as such, but rather in the ITS related
development of the mobility demand.
Therefore, while the following pages present the major ITS issues and describe the impact of ITS, they do so in the knowledge that ITS issues are
based on equally important questions concerning changing attitudes towards mobility and transportation: How is the demand for mobility changing, in particular in terms of quality and in relation to general trends such as
transport policy, demographics, individual contact with ITS instruments?
What are the interrelations between ITS and transport behaviour?
4
1
Road safety midway between
responsibility and freedom
IT services are expected to improve
safety on the roads and in PT and to
reduce the risks related to the transport of dangerous goods. At the
same time, the aim is not to raise the
risk tolerance or to set unreasonable
limits on the behaviour and responsibility of the driver. How can the
right balance be reached and what
liability issues will arise?
The situation
Road safety is enhanced by numerous driver assistance systems: distance warning devices, lane control,
support systems to enforce authorized speed limits (speed control), fatigue alarms, alcolocks, electronic
stability programs (ESP), anti-lock
braking systems (ABS), brake assistant, etc. These systems can prompt
drivers to take greater risks, due to
the “vehicle intelligence” within lim-
6
ited ranges and the resulting safety
measures or warnings. In turn,
higher risk tolerance can lead to accidents that may not have occurred if
greater reliance had been placed on
the driver’s sense of responsibility. In
addition, more assistance can complicate the issue of liability in an accident, because of the possibility
that a technical system has failed. If
certain systems become mandatory,
individual driving styles may be affected in a way that the emotional
impact of the MPT experience can
be reduced fundamentally. The deployment of systematic ITS controls
to enforce traffic rules serves to
­increase road safety, in that such
controls call on the driver’s sense of
­responsibility. At the same time,
however, they restrict the feeling of
freedom behind the wheel. Therefore some ITS applications can affect
Switzerland’s national action programme for greater road traffic
safety, Via sicura.
Opportunities
Road safety can be further improved.
The number and severity of accidents, their cost and consequences,
the amount of human suffering can
be reduced. Accident prevention
helps to minimize bottlenecks and
reduce traffic congestions stabilize
the road network’s capacity and
make travel times more reliable and
predictable. ITS applications help
road users to be alert to signals and
pick out dangers from among the
mass of all the annoying external
factors.
Risks
Unanticipated consequences of behavioural change; diminished sense
of responsibility; unclear liability issues; less intense driving experience.
turer liability due to the changes
in responsibility by the resulting
modifications of the driving behaviour;
• through induced or necessary
changes in driver behaviour;
• hrough new demands on driver
training. How can the propensity
to take risks be kept within reason? To what extent should drivers be instilled with a sense of direct responsibility?
• when driver assistance systems
rely on communication between
vehicles (car registration regulations);
• if road traffic regulations in Switzerland have to be systematically
enforced using ITS.
Challenges
Challenges arise:
• from individual conflicts between
two goals: the requirement of
safety and driving experience;
• with regard to liability concerning
the conflicting goals of direct
driver responsibility and manufac-
7
2
Transport data, privacy and
data overkill
The collection of data on traffic and
mobility will be optimized, but the
data handled without breaking data
protection legislation or encroaching
on privacy. The aim is not to issue
massive numbers of traffic fines.
How can transport data be rendered
anonymous? How can data overkill
be avoided?
The situation
Today’s transport data collection
systems essentially concentrate on
the number of vehicles in the various
motor vehicle categories, the traffic
situation (speed, density) and the
number of PT users. They are used to
measure and forecast traffic density
and demand for PT for statistical,
planning and traffic regulation purposes. This is accepted by road users.
It is only when the rules are broken
(speeding or fare evasion) that enforcement requires user identification. ITS offer many more possibilities, however. They can be used to
compile the following traffic data:
vehicle category, vehicle size, speed,
route taken, vehicle weight, engine
type, emissions and noise levels, ve-
hicle load (including dangerous
goods), number of people transported, route (or tracing in the case
of goods), distance between vehicles
and lane changes. These comprehensive data can encroach on and
violate the right to privacy.
The public debate shows that there
are huge discrepancies between ITS
and mobile telephony when it comes
to privacy and data protection. There
are no obvious reasons for this, but it
may help build acceptance of ITS to
discover what the explanation is (for
example, what role does voluntary
enforcement play?).
Opportunities
With regard to PT, several ITS applications can be used to introduce
more appropriate traffic charging
systems, improve operating data
and enhance billing between transport companies. With regard to road
traffic, comprehensive traffic data
9
can be used to regulate traffic and
reduce its impact on the environment. They also serve to reduce risks
in terms of road safety and to optimize transports. They are crucial to
efficient road traffic management
and fair pricing of mobility.
The establishment of a publicly accepted, high-quality, large-scale data
collection system stands as an alternative to proprietary systems (such
as TomTom). «Private» data obtained
from vehicles (GPS, ABS/ESP sensors,
crash sensors) can be used for official traffic management by making
the data anonymous and thanks to
car2x communication (vehicle-to-infrastructure communication).
Risks
The mass of data obtained cannot
be used and processed in any meaningful, consequential and efficient
way. There is a disproportionately
high cost-benefit ratio. The impression of constant control (enforcement) encroaches on privacy. Lack of
10
acceptance of individualized data
collection raises unnecessary barriers between road users, operators
and control agencies, making it
harder to implement ITS applications
of benefit to the public. Comprehensive ITS data collection only serves a
purpose when the policy governing
data use is known and accepted beforehand.
Challenges
• Neutral and anonymized data
­collection and use
• Building trust and acceptance: it
must be convincingly demonstrated to the public that the data
respect the right to privacy, that
misuse can be ruled out technically, and that data storage presents no threat. Differences or
similarities with mobile telephony
may be invoked to support that
position.
• Controlled data storage and administration for public and commercial services in the network of
national and cantonal authorities,
licensed transport companies and
private service providers
• Free access for service providers
to administration data, with due
regard for data protection and
market concerns. The service providers want the data to be accessible practically in real time.
• Efficient data handling despite the
highly complex social and legal
conditions
• Cost-causality pricing (e.g. localized record of activities, risk-specific insurance premiums) requires
people-specific data collection
and storage. Prices and tariffs established by agreement between
the federal, cantonal and municipal authorities, transport firms,
associations, etc.
• Political justification for an effective enforcement strategy
• Fair traffic control and equitable
cost distribution require reliable
data collection.
• Clarification of the question: what
contribution can resources such as
Facebook, Twitter and iPhone
make in terms of mobility-relevant
data, in particular as concerns pedestrians and cyclists?
• How to avoid data junkyards and
data overkill
11
3
Mobility pricing: a means of
road traffic management or financing?
The aim of mobility pricing is intelligent management of road networks
and PT passenger services. It should
not, however, result in economically
crucial transport becoming excessively costly or complicated; no single group of road users should be
unfairly burdened.
The situation
A distinction must be made between
mobility pricing (generally speaking,
the levying of tolls and tariffs for the
use of transport services, means of
transport and transport facilities),
road pricing (pricing of road traffic)
and PT tariff systems. Ensuring the
requisite long-term funding for road
networks and PT is a matter for finance policy, not ITS; ITS merely
make it possible to obtain a much
more detailed record of mobility-related activities.
Mobility pricing is an answer to traffic management problems and allows transport costs to be redressed
on the basis of performance-linked
considerations. Thanks to performance-linked mobility pricing, differentiated pricing can be used
to influence place- and time-related
traffic volume on roads and in
PT, and driver and intermodal-mobility behaviour. While performance-
linked tariffs can be and have been
introduced in PT, the introduction
of road pricing requires a constitutional amendment. The political debate has centred on three points: the
repeal of the constitutional provision, transport financing as such,
and the use of pricing to influence
mobility. The corresponding decisions concern transport finance policy and lie outside the bounds of ITS.
its-ch is working proactively on ITS
technical means of regulating transport behaviour, but remains on the
sidelines when it comes to issues of
transport finance policy.
Only by using tailored ITS instruments can performance be efficiently and differentially recorded,
and emissions factors taken into account. There already exist diverse
examples of mobility pricing applications. They use different technologies, serve distinct purposes, have
met with varying degrees of success
and have found variable acceptance
among operators and users (e.g.
road pricing in London and Stockholm; PT yield management). In
Switzerland, extensive research and
studies show what has to be done
next if both road and PT pricing are
to become politically and technically
feasible.
13
Opportunities
With performance- and emissionslinked pricing, flat-rate motor vehicle
taxes and insurance premiums no
longer need apply to road traffic; PT
can introduce variable prices, e.g.
depending on the time of day, and
this has the effect of changing attitudes to mobility. The results are
transparent, fair mobility pricing and
an efficient and effective means of
managing capacities in respect of
time and place and of conserving areas and regions. With different carriers applying different prices, steps
can be taken not to overburden bottlenecks or high-density conurbation
areas; in such cases, infrastructure
upgrades can be avoided, reduced
14
or at least delayed and therefore
planned with a keener eye to specific
problems and objectives. In connection with climate control and the
possible long-term introduction of
CO2 and energy footprints, mobility
pricing should increasingly gain acceptance.
Risks
Political reluctance, first and foremost for financial reasons. An increase in MPT costs is a particularly
daunting prospect («drivers are not
cash cows»). Of equal concern is the
emergence of a two-tier society in
terms of mobility. And with pricing,
too, there is the fear that controls
will be disproportionate and have a
limited impact on the roads if not
properly thought through. The traffic regulation possibilities of intermodal mobility may be negligible if it
proves impossible to implement road
pricing as part of comprehensive
mobility pricing.
Challenges
The research has brought to light numerous challenges. They arise in particular in the following areas:
• Technology: comprehensive pricing systems have priority in transport planning. The ITS technology
for highly differentiated data capture is changing rapidly with regard to both road traffic and PT.
• For road traffic, a legal solution
will have to be found with regard
to the Constitution.
• Effective and therefore accepted
application: what degree of road
traffic management is practical
and able to command a majority
at federal, cantonal and municipal
(conurbation) level?
• Public-spending neutrality in road
traffic: no increase in public
spending, but greater price transparency and performance
account­ability.
• Transport policy arrangements for
pricing at national, cantonal and
municipal level, on the one hand,
and between roads and PT (pricing or tariffing in the light of MPT/
PT competition), on the other.
• Tailored ITS solutions for affordable, multifunctional and comprehensive implementation, not just
an isolated Swiss solution for traffic management and differentiated transport finance tasks.
• Governance know-how is a fundamental requirement for the implementation of mobility pricing.
15
4
Multimodality requires a
change of attitude
There must be increased coordination between individual and public
transport (multimodality) in urban
and outlying areas. This is to be
achieved, both for Swiss domestic
transport and for tourist destinations, in such a way that individual
travellers will not have to spend disproportionate amounts of time planning or incur higher costs.
The situation
As transport networks become increasingly overloaded, it should be
possible to switch carriers and
modes of transport as the situation
changes. This requires interlinked
transport possibilities at customerfriendly intermodal interfaces. Some
such interfaces already exist (e.g.
Park and Ride, Park and Pool), but
not all have met with the same success. Efficient use of interlinked
modes of transport requires comprehensive information services, which,
as mobility information becomes
more dynamic and individualized,
calls for forward-looking ITS solutions. Combined mobility, together
with intermodal traffic management, plays a key role in many urban
programmes, but also in outlying
areas offering a range of tourist services. Switching between various
modes of transport also requires attractive conditions for non-motorized transport.
Opportunities
Private service initiatives and products add momentum to the process
for greater intermodal mobility. Urban programmes lead to growing
acceptance of combined and nonmotorized mobility. Mobility within
urban and outlying networks is multimodal, and multimodality is the
mobility of the future, given the
trend towards urbanization and uncertain energy supplies. ITS solutions
can play a vital role in lowering barriers to combined mobility.
Risks
Combined mobility and rising nonmotorized traffic call for a change in
values and behaviour on the part of
many transport users. The combined
and alternate use of various means
and modes of transport is a complex
undertaking that requires a greater
17
planning effort and depends on information. To be sure, ITS services
make available increasingly static
and dynamic data. It nevertheless
takes time to adapt, to see the advantages clearly and to experience
changes in behaviour positively. The
growing overload during rush hour
makes PT, and hence combined and
multimodal mobility, appear less attractive. ITS solutions can make only
a limited contribution to guaranteed
mobility when networks are overburdened. The wide range of transport firms and technical systems
makes it difficult to introduce simple,
customer-oriented information solutions, and therefore also to turn multimodal mobility into a matter-ofcourse option.
18
Furthermore, intermodal mobility is
often promoted solely from the environmental point of view; factors that
are important to customers, such as
price and time, tend to be relegated
to the background.
Challenges
• Changing behaviour in society:
How can habits be broken and
easily accessible ITS solutions used
to promote the requisite change
in behaviour and facilitate combined and multimodal mobility?
What is the time frame for behaviour change processes (months,
years, generations)? How can
smart ITS applications be made
available to less techno-savvy
people at the right level of quality?
• How do attitudes towards mobility change in the long term, e.g.
in the event that individual electromobility (car, scooter, bicycle)
becomes more commonplace? To
what extent does electromobility
promote combined mobility and
increase the demand for intermodal information applications?
• How can information applications
be harmonized as to content and
technology? What do individualized, integrated and affordable information applications look like
and how can they be made available efficiently and with the user ­
in mind?
• What purpose would it serve to
make basic transport information
available cost-free as a public service? What criteria will be used to
delimit higher-value service levels
and individualized commercial services? Is a mandate needed at political level?
• How can individualized information services be provided in respect of complex applications and
player structures in a way that will
cover costs and even make a
profit? What organizational models are appropriate for leading the
requisite processes?
• Can major and innovative suppliers of mobile information services
already available on the market be
convinced to cooperate and to
maintain standards that are yet to
be defined?
• How are ITS solutions to take
­account of tourist-sector aspects
(languages, interests, cultural specificities, mobility habits)? What
can ITS contribute to mobility in
outlying areas, in particular significant tourist regions?
19
5
apacity and performance versus
C
environment and climate
Road and rail transport capacity is to
be increased using IT, without exacerbating traffic-related problems
concerning the environment, climate, energy and the national territory. How can ITS be effectively implemented for environmental and
climate-related purposes? How can
a costly and functional type of training and two sets of equipment (vehicles and infrastructure) be dealt with
in timely fashion? How can the considerable ITS investment costs be reduced?
The situation
Traffic density on road and rail has
increased sharply. ITS make an important contribution to better use of
capacity, i.e. they help stabilize traffic flow and ensure the transport
network functions. The idea is to
eliminate bottlenecks so as to reduce congestion and thereby trafficrelated environmental damage and
resource consumption. In that respect, ITS solutions work in favour of
national environmental sustainability
goals. At the same time, thanks to
ITS-guided congestion management, network availability and reliability are improved and capacity and
performance in a given situation enhanced. This may in turn lead to a
shift in demand that can be offset by
emission reductions. Then again, ITS
solutions can be used to shield areas
afflicted by high emissions from too
much traffic or environmentally unfriendly vehicles.
Opportunities
ITS applications optimize the use of
transport infrastructure; when traffic
is disrupted or heavy, they allow for
higher operating speeds and smaller
distances between vehicles. They
ease congestion by stabilizing traffic
flows and ensuring network functionality. Traffic-related environmental damage and resource consumption can be reduced. ITS applications
can help optimize traffic overall with
a view to sustainability goals, without prompting a noteworthy increase in traffic. As traffic stabilizes,
21
traffic safety improves and there are
fewer accidents. Alongside traffic infrastructure, ITS make a significant
contribution in terms of vehicle and
rolling-stock technology. Intelligent
drive-system management significantly eases the burden on the environment and reduces the consumption of resources (particle filters,
catalysers, noise reduction, tire and
surface technology, hybrid, electrical
and gas engine design).
Risks
ITS applications can lead to increased
demand that offsets any emissions
reductions achieved. The more they
are used, the more drivers will come
to depend on them. A system failure
can give rise to new risks. Compre-
22
hensive solutions promoting advantages and avoiding all disadvantages
can lead to overexploitation that can
no longer be financed, operated and
maintained.
Challenges
• Achieving a situation in which the
existing infrastructure is not expanded in terms of space and in
which energy consumption is reduced to a level at which supplies
can be sustainably ensured.
• How can road traffic management concepts be designed in line
with all sustainability objectives?
How can the introduction of ITS
help ease the burden on the environment and climate and at the
same time optimize traffic flows
and ensure performance, without
generating fresh demands? These
questions ultimately lead to a strategic query: how much congestion does it take, and where, to
achieve forward-looking, sustainable use of mobility possibilities?
• Will electromobility have to become commonplace before it will
spark improved MPT performance
with regard to environmental
damage and the use of non-renewable resources?
• A breakdown in ITS applications
can generate new risks. Comprehensive solutions promoting the
advantages and avoiding all disadvantages can lead to overexploitation that can no longer be finan­
ced, operated and maintained.
• How can the complex effects and
project contingencies be communicated to the public in a way that
helps foster the requisite acceptance?
23
6
High availability requires clear structures and
processes that take account of spatial realties
How can the high availability required of the transport infrastructure, the functionality of transport
networks, and the continuity of ITS
services be guaranteed technically,
organizationally and economically?
To what extent does the lack of
standards hampers innovation?
The situation
High demand for network availability calls for multiple ITS applications
that can be interlinked. Functionality, reliability, dependability, predictable travel times, transparent information and other requirements must
help promote optimum use of the
infrastructure. In this respect, it must
be remembered that satellites also
constitute an essential element of
the public transport-network infrastructure. Structural bottlenecks and
temporary construction sites seriously constrain performance; it is
here that high availability becomes a
major task involving expectations of
ITS. Detailed assessments and road
traffic management on the associ-
ated transport network are contingent on clear modular processes and
efficient communication between
systems and partial systems, between sensors, computers and starters, between the relevant agencies
and utilities. After all, “intelligent
vehicles” call for “intelligent infrastructure” (road users must be able
to process a wealth of information
within a reasonable amount of time,
i.e. quickly and comfortably, to obtain a decision-oriented picture, and
not just call up countless homepages). The redistribution of responsibilities under the new fiscal equalization arrangement (NFA), which
allocates responsibility for national
roads to the federal authorities, is a
big challenge for the confederation
and the cantons and requires more
clarity with regard to roads. In PT,
structures and processes face similar
challenges in terms of ITS applications, e.g. when it comes to passen-
25
ger information, with respect to data
exchanges between associations
and licenced transport companies.
The interoperability of these systems
and applications requires appropriate interface standards.
Opportunities
ITS applications can lead to greater
availability of transport infrastructure; they can make expensive
­infrastructure more efficient and
cost-effective. Clear standards, architecture and processes for linking
partial systems and exchanging
products facilitate low-cost procurement and efficient operations. Clear
accountability in cooperation between players promotes synergies
26
and enhances transport management. If efficient operational and
maintenance structures and appropriate architecture ensure that technical systems are always available,
the results are system structures that
are reliable from the technical, organizational and resource point of
view; this ultimately also results in
high availability.
Risks
The myriad applications from various, basically independent players
(confederation, cantons, cities, licenced transport companies, industry/manufacturers) can hamstring
the sustainable development of an
integrated overall system. The individual preferences of the relevant
agencies among the regional authorities, transport companies and
manufacturers result in a high level
of complexity, lack of transparency
and coordination, limited impact
and benefit at a higher cost, and
in general in suboptimal, inefficient
technical solutions and business
models. The lack of binding standards hampers innovation.
Challenges
• The current ITS database calls
­increasingly for linkages and
­interoperability, even after many
­efforts for standardization.
• Binding legal bases facilitate innovation: what applications are in
the pipeline, and why? What conditions have to be created?
• ITS solutions require a valid database (both qualitative and in the
context) and functioning process
chains for data transmission.
• How can continuity (over space
and time, technical and contentrelated) of ITS services be guaranteed for transport users (across
Europe)?
• Long-term cost-causality funding
of maintenance and major repairs
• Migration of ITS systems with the
rapid development of new generations of technological products
27
7
Involving vehicle manufacturers
creates synergies
What are the concrete advantages
of incorporating vehicle-supported
systems into road-oriented public
ITS applications? Should vehicle
manufacturers be brought into the
ITS development efforts of the Swiss
road authorities? Under what conditions? How quickly?
The situation
There are limits to how much the
fixed traffic sensor network can be
expanded. High collection and processing costs are compounded by
limited flexibility and long-term determination. As a rule, only input
from heavily travelled roads is meaningful. The impact of traffic regulation on secondary road networks is
usually only superficially taken into
account and often results in the
problem simply being transposed to
the surrounding region, where there
are few, if any, systems for dynamic
traffic management. In spite of the
efforts at standardization, it would
seem that practical solutions are still
out of reach.
Opportunities
The development of technology for
communication between vehicles
(car2car, car-to-car) and between vehicles and road infrastructure (car2x,
car-to-infrastructure) presents new
possibilities for dynamic road traffic
management of the entire transport
network in any given situation. It
opens the door to affordable, efficient and dynamic data collection.
The relatively high availability in
Switzerland of innovative ITS assistants and ITS services fosters an environment that is more favourable
than in other European countries for
such solutions.
Risks
The viable development of an integrated overall system may be hampered by the number of vehicle systems produced by the various
manufacturers. An integrated solution presupposes coordinated standards for vehicle-infrastructure communication and the corresponding
safety mechanisms for valid data
communication. The consequence
of such pronounced individualiza-
29
tion can be isolated solutions. Insurance companies cannot allow data
from their crash boxes to flow unimpeded to car2x communication. The
implementation of a far-reaching sys­
tem based on available standards
depends heavily on the automobile
manufacturers. Innovations are usually tested on the manufacturers’
domestic markets; conflicts of interest may arise. Making data available
may also require the agreement of
the vehicle driver or owner.
Challenges
• European developments in the
field of car2car and car2x (basic
technology, applications) must be
monitored.
• Regular exchanges and communication must be maintained with
relevant stakeholders (car manufacturers, insurance companies)
on the development of car2car
und car2x.
30
• The concrete advantages of linkages between vehicle-based data
systems and public road-oriented
ITS applications must be ascertained and substantiated.
• It should be ascertained whether
and how vehicle manufacturers
can be integrated into the development process for data communication between vehicles and the
Swiss road infrastructure.
• The technical and legal conditions
for the achievement of such a
car2x solution should be rapidly
clarified, as should the timeframe
for development and implementation. Pilot applications of smart
ideas must be promptly implemented.
• Cost savings must be verified
through a realistic comparison of
systems.
8
evelopments in neighbouring countries
D
are a potential source of synergies
What projects and experiences in
neighbouring countries and in the
European Union are relevant for
Switzerland? To what extent do cooperation and linkages with other
countries generate synergies? How
can successful European pilot projects be communicated and their
benefits replicated in our region?
The situation
In December 2008 the European
Commission issued the ITS Action
Plan, which comprises a series of targeted measures for the introduction
and use of ITS in road traffic. Implementation started around 2010
(there is as yet no work programme).
It will lead to improved road safety,
reduced congestion and better travel
planning. Unresolved issues are to
be raised, such as:
• Improved compatibility between
ITS systems and securing backward compatibility with earlier applications and systems
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• Narrower focus on vulnerable users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, the disabled and persons
with limited mobility)
• Guaranteed respect for data protection and privacy (personal data
must be collected, stored and
processed in compliance with EU
regulations)
• Clarification of liability by involving experts and the parties concerned
The Action Plan has six action areas:
1 Optimal use of road, traffic and
travel data
2 Continuity of traffic- and freightmanagement ITS services on European transport corridors and in
conurbations
3 Road safety and security
4 Integration of the vehicle into the
transport infrastructure
5 Data security and protection, and
liability issues
6 European ITS cooperation and
­coordination
For its-ch, the actions and research
projects being conducted by members of ERTICO and the DACH countries are also of interest:
• Road – Rail – Transport Research
Association, Austria (FSV)
• Road and Transport Research
­A ssociation, Germany (FGSV)
• A ssociation of Road and Traffic
Professionals, Switzerland (VSS)
• ERTICO Projects
• Activities of national ITS organizations
Opportunities
Closer cooperation generates the
following opportunities:
• Exchange of experience and
knowledge with other countries
• New approaches, ideas and solutions for Switzerland
• Uniform procedures, processes
and architecture
• System compatibility
• Follow-up of alternative solutions
This may result in the following
benefits:
• Risk minimizing in the implementation of new technologies and
resulting projects
• Lower costs
• Speedier achievement of project
goals
Risks
Cooperation can generate international pressure that can influence a
project. Tension between political,
financial and economic goals can
have a negative impact. Others can
profit from acquired advantages and
experiences, undermining an existing lead position.
33
Challenges
• Developments with regard to EU
ITS Action Plan projects must be
constantly monitored. Knowledge
must be assessed in the light of
Switzerland’s needs. Synergies
must be called into play where
possible.
• Projects with neighbouring countries must be harmonized at an
early stage, and developed and
implemented jointly or at least in
coordination, so as to help ensure
the continuity of ITS services technically and as regards content beyond Switzerland’s borders…
• Regular exchanges must take
place with relevant stakeholders
(from the DACH organizations
and the ITS network); programmes are to be discussed as
needed and joint projects
launched as required.
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9
Public acceptance – a prerequisite for
ITS applications and services
The willingness of transport users to
utilize ITS, the public opinion and the
political acceptance are preconditions for the implementation of ITS
instruments and services, of public
ITS infrastructure. Which way is public opinion leaning? For what ITS
­infrastructure and applications is political acceptance gathering strength?
What are the foreseeable processes
and timeframes? How can the intrinsic difficulties of communicating ITS
be remedied?
The situation
The technical possibilities and the
real applications of ITS continue to
change rapidly. Acceptance of the
facts and the related opportunities
and risks lag considerably behind in
the public mind and among political
decision-makers. In addition, ITS applications are often hard to communicate and visualize. Opinions of ITS
therefore run afoul of three acute
dangers:
1 The image of the corresponding
application is not shaped by balanced public discourse, but rather
by financial powers and the interests of above all major suppliers.
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2 In the political discussion, individual, essentially risk-related elements can gain traction in the
voters’ overall limited knowledge
base. ITS applications are relatively easy to criticize using what
may be misleading representations; they consequently escape
in-depth discussion and regulation in the long term.
3 Because the advantages of ITS
­applications are often relatively
abstract and can only be communicated via complicated explanations, they come second in the
race for political and public attention, behind more immediately
clear topics.
Opportunities
ITS represent “progress“. With careful explanation it can be shown, for
example, that ITS can result in huge
financial savings to the public, or has
impact, for example in accident prevention, at little or minimal cost.
Even in political circles there is therefore an intrinsic willingness to com-
municate plausible explanations of
ITS and turn them into concrete
policy.
Risks
If the public and politicians are overwhelmed with unfiltered (and often
English-only) information on ITS,
they will understandably erect barriers to comprehension. If questions
of meaning, the citizens’ interests
and financial considerations are buried under too much technical gibberish, it becomes practically impossible to communicate about ITS.
Challenges
• The developments, opportunities
and risks of ITS applications must
be presented graphically, fairly
and in a language that everybody
can understand. It is only when
the general public no longer feels
out of the discussion that it will
be willing to talk about ITS. For
reasons of cost, but also because
of their intrinsic proximity to the
subject, presentations should
made using mainly electronic
means. The advantages of ITS
should be presented using show-
case applications (e.g. navigation
systems in MPT, passenger information in PT).
• In political venues, specific efforts
must be made to seek or consolidate relations with experts in the
relevant parliamentary groups, by
providing them with information
or with suggestions for parliamentary interventions.
• When presenting ITS applications,
it is essential always to highlight
that they have what is often a
very advantageous cost-benefit
ratio compared to non-ITS solutions. The underlying message
must be that it is better to connect than to construct.
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10
anted: finance and economic
W
business models
What models exist for the financing
of ITS infrastructure and services?
What models have been successfully
implemented under what (political)
conditions? What lessons can be
learned for their application in Switzerland?
The situation
The complexity of the technological
solutions and the player structure,
with its widely varying levels of accountability, also make it hard to
­finance basic ITS infrastructure in
particular but also ITS services. The
user’s willingness to pay cannot be
taken for granted, since a public service such as basic traffic information
is expected to be free.of charge.
Dealing with “public” data and with
data from service providers (mobile telephone companies, insurance
companies, car manufacturers, etc.)
is often handicapped and requires
technical solutions that also have fi-
nancial repercussions. This makes it
difficult to commercialize individualized ITS services. Appropriate business models tend to be lacking.
Opportunities
Appropriate financial solutions and
business models contribute to the
rapid breakthrough and success of
ITS infrastructure and services.
Risks
Delays and obstacles to the development and implementation of beneficial infrastructure systems and ITS
services
Challenges
• Obtaining an overview: How is
the planning, implementation and
operation of basic public ITS infrastructure financed?
• What successful business models
exist for ITS services? What are
the conditions for their implementation?
• What prerequisites and framework conditions have to be established in Switzerland for appropriate finance models?
39
The outlook
Intelligent Transport Systems for Switzerland – Focus on the Future was
drawn up by experts, interest groups and persons with an interest in the itsch platform.
It is intended as a situation assessment and a basis for discussion of a subject
that will gain in resonance in the coming years. Given the issue’s significance,
and in view of the rapid pace of technological progress, it will be crucial to
remain abreast of future developments.
One step in that direction is the preparation of the new “ITS-CH ground
transport guiding principles 2025/30.”
The its-ch platform also attaches great importance to broad-based discussion and formation of opinion thanks to the cooperation of all the professionals involved and interested readers.
Feedback? www.its-ch.ch
40
Imprint
Published by:
its-ch platform, secretariat
Copyright:
its-ch, November 2010
Editors:
Kurt Amstad
swissT.net / TBA ZH, editor-in-chief
Lorenz Raymann
Ernst Basler + Partner / SVI
Stefan Brendel
Ernst Basler + Partner
Layout and printing:
Danielle Lalive d’Epinay
Reto Trachsel
Miriam Werder Aegerter
Ernst Basler + Partner
Distributed by:
Geschäftsstelle its-ch
c/o VSS
Sihlquai 255
8005 Zürich
info@its-ch.ch
www.its-ch.ch
Picture credits:
Retina Pictures, Bern