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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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Sunny<br>
<br>
Brendan Finn wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid00e201c6e183$9548cf20$0401a8c0@finn" type="cite">
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Dear Joshua,</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Good point, and one I've noticed for
quite a few years. </font></div>
<div> </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> </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> </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> </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> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">With best wishes, </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </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>
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