Toolkit User Framework - Guidance



This guidance is designed to assist stakeholders who will face decisions about deployment of ITS in urban passenger transport. The primary audience is policy-makers, decision-takers and managers of transport authorities and transport operators, but it is also useful for many other stakeholders.

An ITS project is not just a technology project. ITS deployment can have significant impacts throughout the organisation. It needs to be viewed from the outset as a corporate project. The design of any ITS systems should respond to clearly-stated needs of the transport authority and/or operator. All of the key policy-makers and senior managers of the transport authority and/or transport operator needed to be involved at every stage, especially at the project formulation stage.

ITS for urban passenger transport consists of a wide range of systems including:

  • Operations management systems and Control Centres
  • Traffic Signal Priority
  • Fare Collection Systems
  • Real-Time Traveller Information systems and journey planners
  • Demand Responsive Transport support systems
  • Driving and driver support systems
  • Driver and vehicle monitoring systems
  • Safety and security systems
  • Planning and resource management tools

A wide range of international experience has shown that there is far more to ITS than just purchasing and installing equipment. In almost all cases, ITS involves significant change in the business processes of transport operators, and the services offered to the customers. In many cases, the deployment of ITS leads to organisational and business model changes.

This Guidance is structured according to the three main phases of an ITS deployment project, plus the often-forgotten fourth phase (Evaluation):

  • Planning
  • Design
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation

Each of the four phases is elaborated at two levels. The first level provides concise guidance, highlighting key actions and messages. The second level provides more detailed guidance on each of 19 different themes.

The Guidance is structured as follows:

  • Planning
    • What’s your goal for ITS?
    • What approach to take?
    • Is ITS the right route?
    • What must the system do?
    • What type of ITS applications?
  • Design
    • What Technology will it need?
    • What Platform will it need?
    • What Data will it need?
    • What other resources will it need?
    • What else can the technology, data and resources be used for?
    • How will the business processes need to change to take full advantage?
    • What will be the total cost?
  • Implementation
    • Supply the needed system
    • Install the system in the respective working environment
    • Deploy the system
    • Make good use of the system
  • Evaluation
    • Pre-installation criteria
    • Post-implementation and monitoring
    • Evaluation

We recommend that you begin by reading through the first-level material, especially if you are relatively new to the ITS domain. This will provide you with a good overview of the ‘end-to-end process’. It will also introduce you to many of the key messages, and help you become familiar with the subject. You can then find more extensive guidance in the more detailed second-level pages

Please note that this Guidance section of the Toolkit does not elaborate on the technical aspects of ITS. The technical information is elaborated in the ITS Applications and the ITS Technologies sections of the Toolkit. Many practical aspects are presented in the Case Studies.

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