N° 1 January 2015

This month focus on...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION ADOPTS NEW RULES TO IMPROVE EU-WIDE TRAFFIC INFORMATION SERVICES FOR ROAD USERS

The European Commission has adopted new rules which will help provide road users across the EU with more accurate, accessible and up-to-date traffic information related to their journeys (Real-Time Traffic Information). This can include information about expected delays, estimated travel times, information about accidents, road works and road closures, warnings about weather conditions and any other relevant information. Such information can be delivered to drivers through multiple channels: variable message signs, radio traffic message channels, smartphones, navigation devices, etc. A functioning market already exists for Real-Time Traffic Information services, which is why the objective of the new rules adopted today, is to make existing information services available to more users, facilitate the sharing of digital data, and foster the availability of more and accurate data.

What are Real-Time Traffic Information Services

Real-time traffic information services aim to provide road users with accurate and up-to-date information related to their journeys. This can include information about the road network, traffic regulations (such as speed limits and access restrictions), officially recommended alternative routes, expected delays and estimated travel times, information about accidents, road works and road closures, warnings about weather conditions and any other relevant information (e.g. information about road tolls and availability and cost of parking places at the destination).
Real-Time Traffic Information can be delivered to drivers through various channels, such as variable message signs, variable speed limits, radio traffic message channels, smartphones, navigation devices, etc.

Objectives of the Commission action

A functioning market already exists for the delivery of Real-Time Traffic Information services to end users. Therefore, the objectives of the Commission action (specifications) are to:
Make existing Real-Time Traffic Information services available to more users by increasing EU-wide interoperability and continuity of data and services (in combination with travel information services);
Increase the existence of (digital) data and its sharing, to decrease data fragmentation and make data more accessible and improve data quality;
Facilitate the availability of more and accurate data to enable better management of road infrastructure and traffic flows.

Delegated Regulation (specifications)
To improve the interoperability of the data, the specifications require that road status and traffic data are made accessible via national access points in a standardised format. The specifications also establish rules on data updates including timeliness of these updates.
The draft specifications have gone through extensive consultations with the experts nominated by the Member States and other public and private stakeholders.
The specifications will apply to the comprehensive Trans-European road network and motorways not included in this network as well as to "priority zones" (especially interurban/urban busy roads) when national authorities voluntarily identify such zones. The specifications do not make the deployment of Real-Time Traffic Information services obligatory. However, when these services are already deployed in a Member State or will be deployed after the date of application of the delegated regulation, the specifications will have to be followed.
The key enabler to the provision of accurate, reliable and content rich Real-Time Traffic Information services is to improve accessibility and interoperability of existing and up-to-date data across the EU. Therefore, the specifications foresee that each Member State sets up a national access point (single window) for the exchange of data.
Now that the specifications have been adopted, they will be transmitted to the Council and the European Parliament for their right of scrutiny. The Delegated Regulation will apply from 24 months after its entry into force.

For further information: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/its/news/2014-12-18-rtti_en.htm

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Project of the month

Empowering ITS applications with EGNOS

Satellite navigation technology is a building block for numerous applications, and it is widely adopted in ITS. EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) improves the accuracy of the GPS signal and provides integrity information, making it suitable for applications requiring accurate and reliable positioning. EGNOS provides the Open Service from the satellites’ open signal free to users equipped with GPS/EGNOS devices, and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS) delivered through a server via terrestrial networks and capable to further increase the performances of the GPS.

The use of EGNOS enables to enhance today’s ITS applications based on GPS, also thanks to the availability of innovative solutions enabling to use its services and to deliver added value services. Over the past decade, the European Commission has incentivised the development of these solutions through the effort of European research projects co-funded by the industries. Various initiatives have been also launched to support and promote the use of EGNOS outside Europe, particularly in the neighbouring countries around the Mediterranean Sea. In parallel Galileo, presently under development, will allow further improvements on a global scale when it will become operational.

One of these solutions is the LoCation Server (LCS), developed by Telespazio, a Finmeccanica-Thales company. LCS is a flexible product, optimised for ITS and particularly for road, freight transport and logistics applications. LCS easy retrofits GPS tracking & tracing systems and enables them to utilize and exploit EDAS. LCS improves the quality and the reliability of the position information, it enhances the GPS position accuracy by approximately 4 metres (while the enhancement achievable with the EGNOS Open Service only is by approximately 3 metres) and it provides an information (called “protection level”) qualifying/guaranteeing the measured position (that cannot be obtainable with EGNOS Open Service only).

LCS is connected to EDAS, it receives the data from the tracking devices installed on board of the assets to be localized (for example vehicles, containers, tankers, wagons, trucks) and it delivers services according to the specifications reported in the CEN Workshop Agreement CWA 16390.

LCS is compatible with Galileo and with multi-constellation receivers.

LCS has been integrated in operational GPS-based platforms to convey them into EGNOS. In the frame of various European projects, LCS has been successfully validated in life demonstrations and real business cases, its performances have been extensively proved in Europe and outside Europe in many applications, and in various modes of transport and environments.

In the SCUTUM project, LCS has been utilized to remotely track and trace the transport of dangerous goods by road with more than 300 vehicles transporting hydrocarbon in Europe for the oil company eni.

In CONTAIN, LCS has been validated by Interporto Bologna in life demonstrations for monitoring the shipment of intermodal containers along road and rail corridors.

The EGNOS2road project has demonstrated LCS in different applications for road charging, for monitoring the transit of vehicles in limited traffic areas, for controlling the traffic of heavy goods vehicles and of urban regulated fleets (such as city logistics and local public transport).

LCS has been validated also outside Europe in MEDUSA, to track and trace the shipment of containers across the Mediterranean Sea and the movement of commercial vehicles in Jordan in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport of Jordan and the Jordanian Customs.

These experiences have confirmed LCS’s performances in different operational scenarios and its capability to provide precise and trustable information on the position. Resulting advantages and generated benefits are in higher efficiency, safety and security, improved traffic management, risk management and prevention. Moreover, the “protection level” delivered by LCS as a guarantee of the position information reliability, allows the establishment of liability schemes among the various stakeholders, thus supporting the implementation of a “smart” mobility and the European policies for logistics (such as “e-freight” and “green lanes”).

Capitalizing on these use cases, the recently started project CORE is developing a real business case for the intermodal transport of dangerous material across Europe, and with the participation of HOYER, a logistic company operating in the shipment of chemicals, minerals and gas.

For further information, please visit:
www.scutumgnss.eu
www.containproject.com
www.euromedtransport.eu
www.coreproject.eu
www.galileo-apps.sunrise-project.eu/galileo-apps-store/lcs-location-server
www.telespazio.com

For contacts: Antonella Di Fazio - antonella.difazio@telespazio.com

News of the month

Almaviva wins tender for the integration of the National Logistics Platform
Almaviva, TTS Italia ordinary member, in collaboration with sincon Srl, has won he tender issued by UIRNet Spa for the support services to the realization of the integration of National Logistics Platform with security systems node of the port of Taranto and risk analysis customs.
Source: TTS Italia

Atac: Car Sharing incentive to support sustainable mobility
The Italian Ministry of Environment promotes sustainable mobility of Car Sharing of Atac, TTS Italia founding member, with an incentive of 600 € and a free subscription for the first year for those scrapping the private car. In addition, the second year, there will be a discount of 50% about subscribing. The incentive is valid for residents of Rome and province, nominees (or joint holders) of vehicles registered up to 31/12/2005 (including EURO 3) powered by gasoline or diesel fuel.
Source: Eco dalle Città

Engineering Ingegneria Informatica wins the tender for dangerous goods mintoring
Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA, TTS Italia ordinary member, has won the tender issued by UIRNet SpA for the support services to the realization of Module DG Base for control of Dangerous Goods by the Convergence Objective Regions - Experimentation Calabria and Sicily. "
Source: TTS Italia

INDRA firma per 266 M€ contratti di ticketing a Riad, in Arabia Saudita
INDRA, TTS Italia ordinary member, has signed a €266 M contract to implement the entire ticketing and access control technology in the new public transportation system currently under construction in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA), the company responsible for modernizing Riyadh's infrastructures, has chosen Indra's bid as a winning bid after an international public tender involving 10 leading multinational companies. This is the biggest ticketing project in the world up-to-date, to be completed in 54 months, and it includes maintenance and technological assistance for 10 years.
The Governor of Riyadh, Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the High Comission for the Development of Arriyadh and Chairman of the High Ministerial Committee for the Riyadh Public Transport Project and Indra's Executive Vice President, Eduardo Bonet signed the contract last Monday January 05th  in Riyadh.
This project strengthens Indra's position in the Middle East, where major infrastructure plans are in the pipeline for the next few years. Additionally, it represents an important milestone in the Transport and Traffic market of Saudi Arabia, where the multinational is the technological partner of the high-speed railroad project between Medina and Mecca.
In Riyadh, Indra will develop the entire advanced pricing management system for the city's public transportation network. This includes a ticketing control center with information from the various systems, financial management software, the operator clearing house, and other value-added systems for commercial management.
This project in Riyadh not only strengthens Indra's position in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, but also consolidates the company's status as a technological partner in major infrastructure projects across the world, such as the Panama Canal or the high-speed railway between Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia). In the case of the Mecca-Medina railway, the multinational is responsible for the management, telecom, security, ticketing and ICT systems, totaling €440 M.
Thanks to its commitment to innovation, Indra has developed its own latest generation solutions for smart transport infrastructures. These can already be found in countries such as the USA, Mexico, Colombia, China, India and Malaysia, among many others.
These smart technologies help to increase the infrastructures' environmental and financial efficiency and sustainability; they also improve service, quality and increase security levels.
Indra, chaired by Javier Monzón, is one of the world's largest consultancy and technology multinationals, a leader in Europe and Latin America and is expanding in other emerging economies. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business, which is highly focussed on the customer and on sustainability. The multinational is one of the leaders in its sector in Europe in terms of investment in R&D and innovation, having invested more than €570M in the last three years. With sales approaching €3,000 million, it employs 43,000 professional and has customers in 138 countries
Source: INDRA

ISIS wins tender for the preparation of EU guidance on urban vehicle access regulations
ISIS (Institute of Studies for the Integration of Systems), TTS Italia ordinary member, has won the tender issued by the European Commission – Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, to support the European Commission to prepare 6 high-quality non-binding guidance documents on different aspects on urban vehicle access regulations for presentation to the EU Member States for their endorsement. The final list of 6 topics for the guidance documents will be agreed with the Commission after the signature of the contract.
Source: TTS Italia

Kiunsys nominated forthe Postcapes #IoT Award
Kiunsys, TTS Italia ordinary member, is the Italian startup finalist of the Postcapes #IoT Awards for the category Smart City. The award is one of the most important international awards in the Internet of Things. With its solutions for mobility management and parking in the Smart City, Kiunsys was selected as one of the 12 most innovative companies in the world, the only one with Italian team and products. Participation in #IoT Awards opens the new year confirming the positive trend of 2014 that was to Kiunsys an important year, full of great satisfaction: products for the management and control of mobility and parking have reached new records of diffusion, has started a prestigious partnership with Deutsche Telekom and, having won the tender of Florence, Kiunsys now boasts among its clients also one of the most important Italian cities. 2014 was also a year punctuated by important awards, such as the Smart Communities SMAU Prize and the Special Prize M31 Italy Startup of the Year.
Source: Kiunsys

Project Automation wins tender in Livorno
Project Automation, TTS Italia ordinary member, has won the tender issued by the Municipality of Livorno for the supply, implementation and maintenance of fiber optic lines, surveillance equipment, limited traffic zones and pedestrian zone in the “Venice” area.
Source: TTS Italia

Swarco Mizar wins tender for ticketing system and fleet monitoring
Swarco Mizar, TTS Italia founding member, in collaboration with cAEP Ticketing Solutions Srl, has won the tender issued by Sardegna IT Srl c.s.u, in house society of the Sardinia Region, to supply the completion of the Integrated Ticketing system and automotive Fleet Monitoring and rail infrastructure ARST. The tender includes:
- analysis and final design of the integrated electronic ticketing system and automotive fleet tracking and rail infrastructure of the company regional TPL ARST SpA
- supply, construction and installation of the system designed
- integration and interoperability of the system realized with the systems already in place for ARST training, start to run the system and project coordination
- Technical assistance and warranty.
The system to be implemented - called SIBEM-RAS-COM - will have to be integrated and interoperable with the regional system SIBEM already realized.Swarco Mizar wins tender for ticketing system and fleet monitoring
Source: TTS Italia

University of Parma: Doctorate Honoris Causa to Prof. Alberto Broggi
Prof. Alberto Broggi, affiliated with the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Parma, TTS Italia ordinary member, and CEO of VisLab srl, will receive the title of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Honoris Causa in Computer Vision during an important ceremony on April 3, 2015 at INSA (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées) in Rouen, France. Professor Broggi’s long and thorough research, mainly focused on the application of computer vision in the field of intelligent vehicles, profoundly influenced the field of vehicular robotics worldwide and helped to define a number of milestones in autonomous driving recognized and referenced by researchers around the globe.
Some basic techniques for the interpretation of the vehicle surrounding environment have been developed and demonstrated in real cases: the first test in the world (2000 km on Italian motorways) in semi-automatic mode with off-the-shelf and low cost components in 1998, the successful participation in the DARPA Challenges together with the most renowned research groups in the world, the first ever test of intercontinental autonomous driving (from Parma, Italy, to Shanghai, China, from July to October 2010), and finally the first test of autonomous driving in open traffic in urban environment in July 2013 with nobody in the driver seat.
Since 1998, Professor Broggi has been ‘visiting professor' for many times at INSA in Rouen, where he participated in the research as advisor and gave lectures. The title of PhD Honoris Causa, conferred by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rewards and highlights the work, career, and emphasizes the personal involvement of Professor Broggi in applied research conducted together with the LITIS laboratory at INSA in Rouen.
The ceremony will be one of the main events of the celebration for INSA’s thirtieth anniversary.
Details about the ceremony can be found here.
Source: VisLab

ITS relevant tenders in Italy

Italia-Roma: Design and realisation of research and devolopment
Italia-Roma: Design and realisation of research and development – II tender

Save the date

Smart, Green and Integrated Transport - Information Day
2 February 2015, Brussels, Belgium
For further information, click here

Technical Conference on Road Infrastructure Safety Equipment
12-13 February 2015, Athens, Greece
For further information, click here

ITS Summit Singapore 2015
12-13 February 2015, Singapore
For further information,click here

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