Policies and Regulation

Policy Framework for ITS in Australia

In 2011, Australian Transport and Infrastructure Ministers signed off on the Policy Framework for Intelligent Transport Systems in Australia.

The Policy Framework for ITS in Australia outlines two key principles (and measures), with a list of desired characteristics of any ITS application or platform.

The principles are:

• ITS development and implementation must deliver demonstrable benefits to individuals, the community and business
• The policy environment in which ITS are developed and implemented must be robust and dynamic.

These measures shall:

Deliver interoperability – ensure that systems and the underlying business processes have the capacity to exchange data and to share information and knowledge to enable effective ITS service delivery.

Be transparent – regulatory decisions will be evidence-based and follow established and explicit principles and rules.

Be fit for purpose – including accreditation/certification and or audit requirements.

Discourage inappropriate technologies that could restrict future development

Be proportionate – provide, where appropriate, for different levels of achievable service quality and deployment, taking into account the local, regional, national and international specificities.

Support continuity of services – ensure seamless services when ITS services are deployed. Continuity of services should be ensured at a level adapted to the characteristics of the individual transport networks, and where appropriate, regions and cities with rural areas.

Encourage innovation – ensure that regulation is only introduced when there is a demonstrated need to do so, is closely targeted, and involves the minimum level of intervention required to deliver a regulatory objective.

Support backward compatibility – ensure, where appropriate, the capability for ITS systems to work with existing systems that share a common purpose, without hindering the development of new technologies.

Avoid favouring particular technologies or applications – to the maximum extent feasible.

Facilitate multiple uses – where appropriate and feasible, enable ITS customer equipment to be used for multiple purposes, to reduce cost and maximise customer value.

Promote equality of access – facilitate and encourage access to ITS applications and services for all users who may benefit from them including vulnerable users.

Facilitate inter-modality – take into account the coordination of various modes of transport, where appropriate, when deploying ITS.

Promote consistency with international standards – enabling Australian suppliers to compete in the world market and providing Australia access to global technology and supplier solutions.

Promote consistency across modes and geography – so that information is delivered to end users in a familiar way.

Promote data sharing – to support the delivery of additional ITS solutions that benefit the wider community.

While all of the measures outlined above are important, there is no natural incentive for either the private sector, or for agents within government who are focused on a particular outcome, to achieve these principles.