We are delighted to be here. My colleagues who have detailed knowledge of these matters will also be delighted to respond to any questions. I have given a written update in response to questions raised. The intelligent transport system, ITS, concerns the application of information and communications technologies to the transport sector. From a transport policy perspective it involves facilitating safer, more efficient and more sustainable transport. The European Commission, which is keen on the proposal, believes that ITS can reduce traffic congestion by 5% to 15%, road fatalities and injuries by the same percentage and carbon emissions by up to 20%. In Ireland, public sector investment in ITS focuses on public transport through ticketing improvements and bus tracking technologies and the delivery of real time information. In addition, local authorities in Dublin and regional cities have been investing and continue to invest in urban traffic control and information systems. The National Roads Authority has facilitated interoperable electronic tolling and is delivering real-time travel and traffic information through variable message signs and on its website. One sees these signs on motorways and so forth.
The development of the ITS policy has been under way since 2002, with two conferences, in 2002 and 2005, a public consultation process in 2006 to which there were more than 30 substantive responses and a commitment under the Government's sustainable travel policy, Smarter Travel-A Sustainable Travel Future to a national ITS action plan. That contains several commitments, including all-island ticketing, a national travel information portal and others. The proposed Dublin Transport Authority covered by the 2008 Act also provides for substantial use of ITS.
The European Commission has been promoting the deployment of mostly road-based telematics and ITS technology since the 1980s. It is worth stating there are other technologies in aviation and shipping that are well developed but the Commission believed for a long time that road-based technologies were not as developed and that there was provision for integrating them into other modes. The Commission has been frustrated at the slow and fragmented nature of the deployment of ITS system services in member states and signalled that it planned a major initiative in this area in the mid-term review of the EU White Paper on European transport policy published in 2006.
In December 2008 the Commission published an ITS action plan and a proposal for a directive on ITS. At a Transport Council meeting in March the Council unanimously agreed to conclusions welcoming the ITS action plan. In April the European Parliament completed its First Reading of the ITS directive under the co-decision procedure and is now awaiting the position of the Council. Last week an informal meeting of European Transport Ministers discussed the need for legislation to facilitate increased ITS deployment. They discussed the role of ITS in road safety and facilitating EU-wide interoperable electronic road tolling. The meeting noted the significant economic potential of ITS, particularly for innovation and industrial development in the current economic crisis. It did not go beyond this; it is waiting to see how the various players will play. It is the expectation of the Commission that the political agreement on the ITS directive can be reached at the next Transport Council which is scheduled for 11 June, with the directive being finalised before December under the Swedish Presidency. The Presidency has yet to circulate its draft of the directive to member states and only one meeting of the relevant Council working group is scheduled in May. It is unlikely this will be agreed within that timeframe. The new Commission must also be taken into account but the current timeframe does not allow for agreement, nor is the work sufficiently advanced.
The Commission's proposal is far-reaching and would define ultimately common specifications for ITS systems and services in Europe. Member states would then be obliged to deploy these specified ITS systems which relate to traffic and travel information, traffic management, road safety and improved ICT technologies in road vehicles. Market access for ICT equipment and software would be limited for energy efficiency, safety, security and environmental protection reasons to those devices and software type-approved by relevant national bodies in member states. This may have implications for industrial policy and policy on the knowledge society. It is proposed the Commission would be assisted by a regulatory committee of member states and supported by an advisory group in the application of the measures involved. Following on from this, there would be reporting requirements to be met by member states.
Ireland's negotiating position is that there is a need for more ITS system deployment throughout Europe but the best way to achieve this is by facilitating the market for ITS equipment and services, with decisions on deployment and implementation being left to those authorities which can take local circumstances into account in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. The compatibility and interoperability of systems, with the resulting continuity of services, will emerge over time through a combination of soft measures and, if necessary, legislation at EU level, with increased financial incentives for cross-border deployment, can be introduced at that stage.
Consultation on the draft directive is under way. The Department is establishing a working group involving representatives from other Departments, the relevant business units across the Department and other agencies to help in the formulation of a position on the draft legislation. The group will start work in the next couple of days.
