Directors of the Intelligent Transport Systems Asia Pacific Board, meeting at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum now on in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have recommended Intelligent Transport Systems Australia (ITS Australia) to host the 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in 2016 in Melbourne.
This decision is to be officially approved at the ITS World Congress Board of Directors meeting to be held in Tokyo on 9 May 2012. The World Congress will bring 6000 to 8000 ITS professionals to Melbourne from all parts of the world, making it one of the largest congresses to be hosted by the city in 2016.
ITS technologies include communication, data processing and electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and mode-to-mode systems that increase transport safety and mobility, improve the sustainability of travel, reduce congestion, and improve the performance and competitiveness of all modes of transport.
With transport systems stretched beyond capacity in many nations, the timely theme of the congress will be ITS – enhancing liveable cities and communities. “The safety, mobility and environmental benefits of deploying ITS technologies in our transport systems will be the focus of the 2016 Congress,” said ITS Australia President Brian Negus.
“As we have learned in recent years in our growing Australian cities, the application of ITS technology – ranging from in-car navigation, to real time traffic updates and incident alerts, variable speed control and freeway ramp controls are adding value. These technologies make roads safer. They also reduce congestion, which saves fuel and cuts emissions.
“Equally, electronic stability control, lane detection, automatic tolling and sophisticated freight management systems are delivering safer and more sustainable road transport in urban and rural communities.”