MODERN TRANSPORT SYSTEM

A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
FOR 21ST CENTURY PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM
MANAGEMENT
ABSTRACT:
The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program is a worldwide initiative to add
information technology to transport infrastructure and vehicles. It aims to manage factors that are
typically at odds with each other such as vehicles, loads, and routes to improve safety and reduce
vehicle wear, transportation times and fuel costs. It has improved transportation safety and
mobility and enhances productivity through the use of advanced communications
technologies. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) encompass a broad range of wireless and
wire line communications-based information and electronics technologies. When integrated into
the transportation system's infrastructure, and in vehicles themselves, these technologies relieve
congestion, improve safety and enhance a countrys productivity.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are identified as the means to achieve sustainable and
environmental friendly transportation for the 21st Century. Advanced information and
communication technologies are required for ITS. These include Data Storage & Processing
Equipment, Wire line & Wireless Communication Systems, Global Positioning Systems (GPS),
Sensors, Smart Cards etc. In addition to the above technologies, institutional and market factors
play an important role in successful ITS deployment. ITS application functionality includes
collection and processing of real-time data, generating and utilizing information for various
purposes such as controlling and managing traffic, handling fleet operations (public transport and
private carriers), emergency management and assisting users in their travel related decisions. The
benefits of ITS include Reduction of traffic congestion, Enhanced safety, Mitigation of
environmental impacts of transportation systems, enhanced energy performance, and improved
productivity.

INTRODUCTION:

Electronic Toll Collection and

Traffic Management (ETTM)

Interest in ITS came from the problems

caused by traffic congestion worldwide and

(CVO)

a synergy of new information technologies

for

simulation,

communications

real-time

control

networks.

and

Traffic

congestion has been increasing worldwide

as a result of increased motorization,
urbanization,

population

growth

and

changes in population density.

Technology

has

been

Commercial vehicle Operations

Figure 1 illustrates basic ITS activities like

Data

Collection,

Computing),

Processing

(Data

Communication

and

Information Utilization.
Figure 1: Categorization of ITS Activities

driving

the

developments in the realm of transportation

from the times of Industrial Revolution to
the present day Digital Revolution. Until the
20th century, technology in transportation
was focused on two objectives (i) meeting
the demand of faster mobility by different
modes and (ii) building capacity and
expanding

network

facilities

to

accommodate growing traffic needs.

INTELLIGENT

TRANSPORTATION

TECHNOLOGIES:
Intelligent Transportation Systems vary in

Major ITS Functional Areas:

The major ITS application areas can be
classified into the following functional
groups:

applied,

from

basic

management systems such as car navigation,

traffic light control systems, container
management systems, variable message

Advanced Public Transport Systems

signs or speed cameras to monitoring

(APTS)

applications such as security CCTV systems,

Advanced Traffic Management

Systems (ATMS)

technologies

Advanced Traveler Information

Systems (ATIS)

and then to more advanced applications

which integrate live data and feedback from
a number of other sources, such as realtime

weather, bridge de-icing systems, and the

like.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS:
Longer range communications has been
proposed using infrastructure networks such
as IEEE 802.12, Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) or 3G. Long-range
communications using these methods is well
established, but unlike the short-range
protocols these methods require an extensive
infrastructure beyond what is installed in a
vehicle. There is lack of consensus as to
what business model should support this
infrastructure.

Closed-circuit tele Traffic flow measurement

using video cameras is another form of
vehicle detection. Since video detection
systems do not involve installing any
components directly into the road surface or
roadbed, this type of system is known as a
"non-intrusive" method of traffic detection.
Video

from

black-and-white

or

color

cameras is fed into processors that analyze

the changing characteristics of the video

SPEED MEASUREMENTS:

image as vehicles pass. The cameras are

typically mounted on poles or structures

INDUCTIVE LOOP DETECTION:

Inductive loops can be placed in a roadbed
to detect vehicles as they pass over the loop
by measuring the vehicle's magnetic field.
The simplest detectors simply count the
number of vehicles during a unit of time
(typically 60 seconds in the United States)
that pass over the loop, while more
sophisticated sensors estimate the speed,
length and weight of vehicles and the
distance between them

above or adjacent to the roadway. Most

video detection systems require some initial
configuration to "teach" the processor the
baseline background image. This usually
involves inputting known measurements
such as the distance between lane lines or
the height of the camera above the roadway.
A single video detection processor can
detect traffic simultaneously from four to
eight cameras, depending on the brand and
model. The typical output from a video
detection system is lane-by-lane vehicle
speeds, counts and lane occupancy readings

VIDEO VEHICLE DETECTION:

SPEED DETECTION DEVICES:

Surveillance devices

Vehicle

Position/Speed/Bearing detectors

Image Processors

gates at traffic speed, reducing congestion at

toll plazas and automating toll collection.

INTELLIGENT

based on using radio devices in vehicles that

would use proprietary protocols to identify a
TRANSPORTATION

APPLICATIONS:

application of Intelligent Transportation

Systems for trucks.A typical system would
be purchased by the managers of a trucking
It

would

vehicle as it passed under a gantry over the

roadway. More recently there has been a

Commercial Vehicle Operations is an

company.

Until recent years most ETC systems were

have

satellite

navigation system, a small computer and a

digital radio in each truck. Every fifteen

move to standardize ETC protocols around

the Dedicated Short Range Communications
(DSRC) protocol that has been promoted for
vehicle

safety

by

the

Intelligent

Transportation Society of America, ETICO

and ITS Japan.
CORDON ZONES:

minutes the computer transmits where the

truck has been. The digital radio service

Cordon zones are used primarily in urban

forwards the data to the central office of the

centers where mass transit is an alternative

trucking company. A computer system in the

to driving. Drivers entering a cordon zone

central office manages the fleet in real time

are charged a toll that exceeds the cost of

under control of a team of dispatchers.In this

mass transit.

way, the central office knows where its

trucks are

Cordon zones have been implemented in

Singapore and in London, England where a

ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION:

TOLL ROADS

Electronic toll collection (ETC) makes it

possible for vehicles to drive through toll

special toll is collected (Congestion Charge)

when entering a congested city center using
Electronic Toll Collection, licence plate.

AUTOMATIC

NUMBER

PLATE

RECOGNITION:

Traffic management systems, which

determine traffic flow using the time it
takes vehicles to pass two ANPR sites

AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM:

An automated highway system (AHS) or
Smart Road is an advanced Intelligent
transportation system technology designed
to provide for driverless cars on specific
rights-of-way. It is most often touted as a
means of traffic congestion relief, since it
drastically reduces following distances and
Automatic

number

plate

recognition

(ANPR) is a mass surveillance method that

uses optical character recognition on images
to read the licence plates on vehicles. As of
2006 systems can scan number plates at
around one per second on cars travelling up
to 100 mph (160 km/h). They can use
existing closed-circuit television or road-rule
enforcement cameras, or ones specifically
designed for the task.
ANPR systems may also be used for/by:

thus allows more cars to occupy a given

stretch of road.
I. COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
Effective and efficient operation of transit
systems

relies

infrastructure

on

communications

and

vehicle-based

communications
Communications

technologies.
systems

are

used

to

transmit voice and data (both raw and

processed) between transit vehicles and
operations (e.g., dispatch) centers, and to
transmit commands between operators and

Section control, to measure average

technologies (e.g., signal priority commands

vehicle speed over longer distances

to

Border crossings

communications systems are comprised

Filling stations to log when a driver

drives away without paying

Car parks or road entry systems to

control access

A marketing tool to log patterns of use

traffic

mostly

of

signal
wireless

systems).

Transit

technologies

and

applications. The two-way voice radio

system used for fleet management and
vehicle dispatching remains at the heart of
most transit operations. However, other
communication technologies are becoming

common; for example, short-range data links

AVL systems are computer-based vehicle

for traffic signal priority. Mobile voice and

tracking systems that function by measuring

data communication systems for bus transit

the real-time position of each vehicle and

include the use of analog, digital, and

relaying the information back to a central

cellular digital packet data (CDPD).

location. They are used most frequently to

The Capital Area Rural Transit System

identify the location coordinates of vehicles

(CARTS) operates over a 7,500 square mile

in

area near Austin, Texas. After years of

Wireless Systems 2 order to better satisfy

operating with a radio system that did not

demand. They also serve to provide location

adequately cover this large geographic area,

coordinates

CARTS signed an agreement to use a state-

situations.

of-the-art radio system installed by the

THE

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

FOUND

In 1998, CARTS became LCRAs first

USUALLY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING,

customer, exclusively utilizing five virtual

BUT

channels on a 900 MHz digital trunking

COMBINATION:

radio system. CARTS has been able to

__Global Positioning System (GPS);

consolidate

all

of

their

reservations,

scheduling and communications functions

into one facility (rather than three), and have
been able to provide customers with one
toll-free reservation line, which was not

Tran Systems-Multisystem-Intelligent

to

respond

LOCATION
ON

CAN

AVL
ALSO

to

emergency

TECHNOLOGIES
SYSTEMS
BE

ARE

USED

IN

__Signpost and Odometer interpolation,

both active and passive;
__Ground-Based Radio, such as Loran C;
and
__Dead Reckoning.

feasible in the past. The centralization of the

scheduling and radio control is helping
CARTS improve the efficiency of its
operations.

The

radio

system

enabled

CARTS to deploy data communication

THE BENEFITS OF AVL INCLUDE:

__Improved dispatch and operational
efficiency;
__Improved overall reliability of service;

between its call center and vehicles with

__Quicker responses to disruptions in

mobile data terminals (MDTs), in addition to

service, such as vehicle failure or

planning future technology applications.

unexpected congestion;
__Quicker response to threats of criminal

II. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION

(AVL) SYSTEMS

activity (via silent alarm activation by

the driver); and

__Extensive information provided at a

fleets performance in meeting demand,

lower cost for future planning purposes.

identify incidents, manage response, and

restore service more effectively.
Paratransit operations software and reporting
systems integrate applications such as
passenger registration, automatic geocoding,
mapping,

real-time

and

batch

trip

scheduling, dispatching and brokering for

multiple carriers. These systems often use a
GIS platform that assists in optimizing route
planning, and can be combined with an AVL
system. Mobile data terminals (MDTs) can
be installed in vehicles to display dispatch
Tri-Met in Portland, Oregon uses their AVL

messages (e.g., passenger pickup and drop-

to better manage their service, respond to

off addresses and instructions), record and

disruptions and as a source of management

temporarily

information data. They use the data to assess

information about each passenger pickup

overall effectiveness of prior real-time

and drop-off, and collect statistical and

service

seen

performance data on services provided.

improvements in on-time performance as

Software programs can include billing, and

well as reductions in headway variability.

accounting and reporting.

adjustments.

They

have

Not only did things improve from before to

after

installation,

but

also

more

improvements have occurred the longer the

system has been installed. Their AVL system
is at the heart of their recently developed
five-year ITS strategic plan.
III.

TRANSIT

OPERATIONS

SOFTWARE
Data collected from vehicle-based fleet
management

systems

is

relayed

to

centralized computer systems and is made

useful by transit operations software. This
software helps the operator monitor the

store

certain

types

of

__Increases customer service to disabled,

elderly, and aids ADA compliance
__Ability to reschedule and re-route transit
vehicles
IV. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
Geographic Information Systems

(GIS)

provides

visual

current,

spatial,

representation of transit operations. It is a

special type of computerized database
management system in which geographic
Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems

databases are related to one via a common

are currently the most visible software

set of location coordinates. This allows

application in fixed-route bus operations.

information to be developed and displayed

Transit agencies use this software for bus

to assist operators, dispatchers, and street

service and operations planning. CAD fixed

supervisors to make on-the-spot decisions,

route software falls into four primary

and to assist planners in service assessment,

categories:

restructuring and development. GIS is most

__Transfer connection protection software;

often used for:

__Expert systems for service restoration;

__Transportation planning and modeling;

__Itinerary planning systems; and

__Demographic analysis;

__Service planning applications.

__Route planning, analysis and

The

benefits

of

transit

operations

software are:
__Permits

__Bus dispatch and scheduling;

optimum

use

of

existing

resources

__Bus stop and facility inventory;

__Ridership analysis;

__Assists in evaluation of operational

efficiency
__Speeds

restructuring;

__AVL and monitoring;

__Paratransit scheduling and routing; and

response

to

emergency

__Accident reporting and analysis.

situationsImproves schedule reliability

A project on Cape Cod used GIS technology

and operating efficiency

to provide new approaches to analyzing the

__Reduces per trip cost

relationships between fixed route and

paratransit services on Cape Cod. By

geocoding the origin and destination of

transportation mode, route, and departure

paratransit trips in relationship to fixed route

time before they begin their trip. There are

services, service improvements could be

four main types of pre-trip information:

made to both modes of transit. Using similar

General

techniques, analyses of routing for

Planning,

subscription trips for clients with

Multimodal Traveler Information. Recent

developmental disabilities to sheltered

improvements to pre-trip transit information

workshops using GIS shortest path routines

systems include providing the information

were made for existing human services

via

transportation services in Southeastern

telephone information; kiosks; and the

Massachusetts

Internet.

Service

Information,

Real-Time

interactive

Washington

voice

Itinerary

Information,

response

Metropolitan

Area

and

(IVR)

Transit

Authority (WMATA) provides an easy-touse trip itinerary planning system via their
website

(http://www.wmata.com).

This

system, called the Ride Guide, allows users

to enter their origin and destination (street
address, landmark or street intersection),
date, time of arrival or departure, minimize
travel time, walking or no. of transfers,
travel by bus and rail, rail only or bus only
returns

complete

directions,

including

walking directions to the , and fare

information

V. PRE-TRIP TRANSIT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Pre-trip transit information systems help
travelers make decisions about the choice of

real-time arrival and departure information

via

the

Internet,

wireless

application

protocol (WAP)-enabled mobile telephones

and networked Palm Pilots. Transit Watch
provides real-time status of vehicles at five
transit centers in the Seattle area via the
Internet and on-site at those locations.

V. IN-TERMINAL/WAYSIDE TRANSIT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Agencies with AVL systems are able to
provide real-time in-terminal or wayside
information about arrival and departure
times. There are several types of media that
disseminate

in-terminal/wayside

information, including electronic variable

message signs, video monitors; the Internet;
mobile telephones; and personal digital
assistants (e.g., Palm Pilot). The displays
may

be

supplemented

announcements

for

with

audio

visually-impaired

travelers. Real-time in-terminal and wayside

information

systems

require

communications link to a central computer

system that provides the information about
upcoming arrivals.
King County Metro, the transit system in
Seattle, provides a variety of real-time
information on several media. Bus view
provides transit users with real-time bus
locations via the Internet. My Bus provides

VI. IN-VEHICLE TRANSIT

INFORMATION SYSTEMS
In-vehicle

transit

information

systems

provide useful en route information to

travelers about their transit trips. Also, they
comply with the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), which requires that vehicle
stops at all key bus stops be announced.
These announcements on public address
systems are most often an operator's
responsibility.

Automated

annunciation

systems relieve the vehicle operator of that

responsibility by announcing stops, transfer

possibilities,

and

of

interest

systems combine fare media, such as

the

vehicle's

magnetic stripe cards or smart cards, with

location, route, and direction of travel. In

electronic communications systems, data

some instances, this information is also

processing computers, and data storage

provided to passengers via variable message

systems to more efficiently collect fares and

signs placed at one or more locations in the

possibly increase revenue by increasing

bus. Although, primarily motivated by

ridership. Today, fare collection systems are

support for the disabled, it is also helpful for

being updated from traditional cash, coin,

those unfamiliar with the route, when the

token, and magnetically based systems

bus is crowded, and when it is difficult to

employing labor intensive processes and

see outside the vehicle.

limited data collection capabilities, to

automatically,

points

based

on

Many transit systems

have automated

sophisticated smart card based systems.

annunciation systems that provide next-stop

Smart cards have the potential to reduce

information

costs through increased automation while

on-board

the

vehicle

via

electronic signs and audio announcements.

enhancing customer convenience.

However, in Orlandos Lynx, the are

The flexibility offered by the use of smart

experimenting

robust

card systems, permits operators to more

annunciation system one that provide more

easily implement changes in fare policy by

than just next-stop announcements. This

uploading fare changes and multiple fare

system provides news and weather, video

structures electronically to the system

clips, and other travel-related information on

payment and sales devices. Additionally, this

a flat-panel display. Each 40-foot bus

flexibility allows operators to promote

contains at least three monitors.

different products as well as incentives and

VII. AUTOMATED FARE PAYMENT

loyalty discounts (for instance, 12 rides for

Transit operators continuously look for ways

11, free transfers) based upon usage.

to lower the operational costs of their fare

The main components of systems using

collection systems. Operators are also

smart card based technology are:

interested

in

with

increasing

more

revenue

and

customer convenience. With these goals in

__A

fare

payment

system

the

mind, transit operators are capitalizing on

infrastructure used to receive value from

the increased automation, security and data

the fare payment media and/or check the

capabilities offered by new fare and data

validity of the media for the current

technologies that can be integrated into

transit trip;

existing fare collection systems. These

__A fare distribution system - the

Several ITS technologies are employed to

infrastructure used for the distribution of

facilitate automated service coordination.

the payment media, as well as the

The most prevalent technology applications

distribution of the value that is loaded

are: central and remote scheduling and

onto the fare media; and

dispatching; automatic vehicle location;

__Clearinghouse and back office processing

advanced communications (particularly data

systems - infrastructure used to capture

communications);

and process transaction data generated

payment. For example, the coordinating

by the fare payment and distribution

agency

systems.

dispatching services for other local service

may

and

provide

automated
scheduling

fare
and

providers using an automated scheduling

system. Likewise, the coordinating agency
may outfit local service providers vehicles
with AVL equipment in order to monitor all
vehicles within the region. Further, they may
provide customers with an automated fare
payment device that can be used seamlessly
on all regional service providers.
The

Suburban

Mobility Authority

for

Regional Transportation (SMART) in the

VIII. AUTOMATED SERVICE

Detroit area has deployed remote scheduling

COORDINATION

at two service providers: the City of Livonia

Automated service coordination can be

and West Bloomfield/Bloomfield Township.

defined as multiple transportation operators

The City of Livonia operates a community-

in a region that provide coordinated service

based

with the assistance of ITS technologies. By

transportation using their own vehicles.

coordinating

(SMART does

the

services

of

multiple

service

program
not

that

operate

provides
paratransit

transportation operators in a region, the

service in this area.) The City uses the

connectivity

transportation

remote scheduling capability provided by

services can be greatly improved for persons

SMART to schedule service on the Citys

who would have to travel on more than one

vehicles. Currently, the communications

transportation agencys vehicles. This will

backbone that allows this remote scheduling

produce the opportunity for attracting more

consists of two phone lines that go through

trips to public transportation.

the switch in Livonia to SMART. This

of

public

backbone will be upgraded to a fractional T1 line (a dedicated line) that will provide

CONCLUSION:

much faster communication at the same cost

($600 to $900 per month). The computers

ITS has been proved to be the optimal

used in Livonia for remote scheduling were

solution to the enigma of building and

purchased with Federal 16b2 funding.

operating transportation systems to meet

In

Bloomfield

expeditiously growing urban travel demand

Township, they are scheduling trips on

in developed countries. We all have acceded

SMARTs paratransit service, which is

to

provided in this area. The remote scheduling

transportation, i.e. Intelligent Transportation

capability was funded through Community

is the requirement of present day-today life.

Credits, which are transportation dollars

Such facilities which are already enjoyed by

provided by SMART to health and human

the people of America etc. and also the

service agency providers.

Government of our country have taken steps

West

Bloomfield

and

in

the

this

fact

very

that

the

field.

acme

This

of

the

accolade

transportation if included in the upcoming

Highway Development Projects of our
Government will certainly help in upgrading
the standards of our Highway Systems to the
utmost quality.

REFERENCES:

ArcView network analyst, Environmental systems research institute, 1996.

Chirs Drace and Chirs Rizos, Positioning Systems in Intelligent Transport Systems,
artech house, London, 1998.

Christian Gerondeau, Transport in Europe, artech house, London, 1997.

David Crawford, Park and Go, ITS international, U.K., (March/April 2001), pp. 68. .

Indian Vehicle tracking System, ITS International, U.K., (July/August 2000), pp. 12.