[sustran] ITS Deployment in developing countries - what are the inhibiting factors?

Brendan Finn etts at indigo.ie
Wed Sep 27 00:51:08 JST 2006


Dear Joshua,

Good point, and one I've noticed for quite a few years.  

I'm sure someone must have researched this and have categorised the factors. Off the top of my head, I would make a short-list of the following factors inhibiting deployment of ITS in developing countries (in random order as they occur to me) : 

1) Transport infrastructure is seen as the more interesting investment (in some cases for non-transportation reasons!)
2) Unwillingness to spend money on the 'soft infrastructure'
3) Lack of interest in actively managing and optimising the traffic resources
4) Lack of understanding of how ITS can greatly improve throughput and efficiency
5) Lack of money not only for the equipment, but also for planning, data set-up, calibration, training, operations, maintenance
6) Lack of basic IT in traffic authorities, bus companies etc. - i.e. PCs, databases, networks, communications
7) Lack of frameworks for integrated ITS - system architectures, comprehensive citywide data gathering, publicly available digital maps, historic data
8) Cost factor balance compared to developed countries - equipment is expensive, labour is cheap - harder to make the business case
9) Lack of ITS vision within the country, lack of champions, lack of funding programs
10) Donor agencies, lenders, international agencies don't give sufficient priority to ITS within transport investment programs
11) Lack of research institutive, universities, entrepreneurial companies who can bring the know-how and best practice to the transport sector
12) Inability to retain technical experts in public sector - anyone in the traffic or transport sector that develops the needed capability will rapidly transfer to the private sector dollar economy where they have the possibility to earn 10 to 100 times more than their (uncertain) public sector pittance.
13) In some countries, the day job is about survival - the impoverished doing the impossible with the unworkable. ITS is on a different planet. Or as they say in Louisiana - when you're up to your ass in alligators, you tend to forget you were sent in to drain the swamp.  
14) Lack of national deployment funding, support programs, pilot and demonstration projects, measures to overcome legal and institutional blockages

Needless to say, not all factors apply in all developing countries, and of course also it depends on what is considered a developing country. Some countries are making interesting efforts in specific sectors (e.g. fare collection systems on public transport). However, that is far short of systematic deployment across the transport sector. 

I would say the most significant factors relate to lack of vision and understanding that investment in infrastructure without investment in ITS is like buying a PC with only the operating system.

With best wishes, 


Brendan Finn. 
_____________________________________________________________________________________
>From Brendan Finn, ETTS Ltd.   e-mail : etts at indigo.ie   tel : +353.87.2530286
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: joshua odeleye 
  To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3:43 PM
  Subject: [sustran] 13TH WORLD CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTSYSTEMS, LONDON, 2006


  Dear All,
  The above mentioned conference is scheduled for 8th-12th October,2006 in London.For more information you may check www.itsworldcongress.com.
  My interest in ITS as an alternative means of solving traffic problem globally dated back to early year 2000.However,it is a pity that researchers and policy makers alike from developing countries rarely show interest in ITS deployment.For instance, a glance through the list of papers to be presented at the a.m congress reflect little or nothing on the preparedness of developing countries to deploy and /or  the consciousness of the applicability of ITS technologies to enhance safety,efficiency,reliability etc of the transport system.

  What do you think is the real problem with ITS deployment in developing countries?
  Regards,
  JOSHUA ODELEYE.
  NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY,
  PM.B 1148,ZARIA,NIGERIA  


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