<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear Joshua,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good point, and one I've noticed for quite a few years.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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) : </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1) Transport infrastructure is seen as the more interesting investment (in some cases for non-transportation reasons!)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2) Unwillingness to spend money on the 'soft infrastructure'</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3) Lack of interest in actively managing and optimising the traffic resources</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>4) Lack of understanding of how ITS can greatly improve throughput and efficiency</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>5) Lack of money not only for the equipment, but also for planning, data set-up, calibration, training, operations, maintenance</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>6) Lack of basic IT in traffic authorities, bus companies etc. - i.e. PCs, databases, networks, communications</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>7) Lack of frameworks for integrated ITS - system architectures, comprehensive citywide data gathering, publicly available digital maps, historic data</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>8) Cost factor balance compared to developed countries - equipment is expensive, labour is cheap - harder to make the business case</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>9) Lack of ITS vision within the country, lack of champions, lack of funding programs</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>10) Donor agencies, lenders, international agencies don't give sufficient priority to ITS within transport investment programs</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>11) Lack of research institutive, universities, entrepreneurial companies who can bring the know-how and best practice to the transport sector</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>14) Lack of national deployment funding, support programs, pilot and demonstration projects, measures to overcome legal and institutional blockages</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would say the most significant factors relate to lack of vision and understanding that investment in infrastructure without investment in ITS </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>is like buying a PC with only the operating system.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>With best wishes, </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Brendan Finn. </FONT></DIV> <DIV>_____________________________________________________________________________________<BR>From Brendan Finn, ETTS Ltd.   e-mail : <A href="mailto:etts@indigo.ie">etts@indigo.ie</A>   tel : +353.87.2530286</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=joshuaodeleye@yahoo.com href="mailto:joshuaodeleye@yahoo.com">joshua odeleye</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org href="mailto:sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org">sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3:43 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [sustran] 13TH WORLD CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTSYSTEMS, LONDON, 2006</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Dear All,</DIV> <DIV>The above mentioned conference is scheduled for 8th-12th October,2006 in London.For more information you may check <A href="http://www.itsworldcongress.com">www.itsworldcongress.com</A>.</DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>What do you think is the real problem with ITS deployment in developing countries?</DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV>JOSHUA ODELEYE.</DIV> <DIV>NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY,</DIV> <DIV>PM.B 1148,ZARIA,NIGERIA  </DIV> <P> <HR SIZE=1> <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=43256/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta">All-new Yahoo! 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