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

[Sunny]

Yes I agree to some extent that ITS serves a good purpose in supporting 
transit but some applications like reversible lanes, parking indicators 
actually support the car users. If ITS "debugs" these sort of traffic 
solutions it would be great. On the point of introducing it in 
developing countries, I feel that first there is an urgent need for 
pulling people out of their cars which are becoming more and more 
hi-tech and lead them towards public transit and then implementing ITS 
to make it easy for them would be a wise idea. I would love to be 
involved in any research of this kind.

I have personally observed in Bangkok some of the bus stations are 
equipped with the ITS devices like the next bus information and taxi 
call service and if anyone has recently visited Pantip Plaza, famous 
tourist destination for computer stuff and pirated CDs, they would know 
that the bus stop right in front of this plaza is a ITS bus stop but is 
closed down and is now a shelter for motorbike taxis and sugar cane 
juice sellers. Similarly, another ITS bus stop in the Siam square which 
I thought was serving the purpose was actually showing some TV programs 
and occasionally displaying some bus numbers and to my surprise it was 
not the number of the coming bus.

As I said earlier I agree with ITS' advantages but wht I try to say is 
tht providing proper base in terms of increasing PT ridership and the 
convenient facilities for these riders is the starting step. Finn was 
saying that basic IT in traffic authorities is lacking and I agree to 
tht, here in Bangkok i think the traffic police are literally confused 
and they operated these traffic signals manually ITS could help this.

Ah while still in the topic I would like to know the others opinion on 
the countdown timers that they put on the traffic signals.

Sunny

Brendan Finn wrote:
> 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 
> <mailto:etts at indigo.ie>   tel : +353.87.2530286
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