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Autonominen bussi ITSWC-kongressissa

Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Singapore - A display window for the future of transport

A relentless search for solutions to rein in the continued growth in private car use is under way around the world. The rapid growth of urban populations is leading to increasing traffic congestion in cities. Without transport solutions that promote walking, cycling, shared vehicles and public transport, cities in many countries will see increased congestion, reduced safety and higher emissions.
 
Solutions to this problem were sought at the ITS World Congress held in Singapore in October 2019. For Traffic Management Finland Group (TMFG), the Congress was an excellent opportunity to take a look at the current development of various aspects of transport and traffic around the world.
 
“Today’s major trends in the transformation of traffic include the innovative use of data and analytics in traffic management and new services, the development of autonomous vehicles and the creation of new business models in the field of transport. In the years to come, these paths of development will help improve the safety and smoothness of traffic as well as reduce emissions in Finland,” says Janne Lautanala, Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer at TMFG.
 
At the ITS World Congress, there were many examples of providing consumers with access to multiple modes of transport through a single application (Mobility as a Service). This is an area of development that Finnish companies are strongly involved in.
 
“At the same time, using mobile phones and cameras as a source of mobility data presents new opportunities for the planning, management and implementation of traffic. Many countries have already made significant progress in data analysis and the use of artificial intelligence. In addition to Finland, China, Singapore, the United States and the Netherlands are currently the leading countries when it comes to the development of intelligent transport systems,” Lautanala points out.
 
One aspect that people and organisations in Europe and Finland in particular are concerned about regarding the transformation of traffic is the protection of privacy. It is also important to ensure information security in all circumstances. Finland’s effective legislation helps build trust.
 
“For the users of transport systems, it is essential to reach their destination safely and smoothly. In this respect, many countries have set targets that are equally ambitious to those of Finland. In rail transport in Singapore, for example, the target is to operate a minimum of 200,000 kilometres, on average, without disruptions. A disruption is defined as a delay exceeding five minutes. Punctuality has been improved by, among other things, the development of proactive maintenance and disruption recovery,” says Director Heidi Saarinen from Finrail Ltd, which is the TMFG subsidiary in charge of rail traffic management.

Traffic Management Finland’s strategic goal is to create the world’s safest, smoothest and most environmentally friendly traffic in Finland together with its partners.

 

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