MELBOURNE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#congestion--59 percent of Australians are willing to limit car journeys to certain times in order to improve urban air quality. A majority of 63 percent are in favour of reducing traffic-related emissions by means of environment-friendly transport solutions – Kapsch´s TrafficCom Index 2020 survey revealed. Although a broad consensus already existed among the population, practice during the Corona crisis is proving to be at odds with expectations: Passenger numbers on local public transport have fallen dramatically. Switching to bicycles and e-bikes increased. Mobility experts advise exploiting this window of opportunity.

“Cities across Australia have reacted swiftly during the Corona crisis by creating more space for cyclists and pedestrians to enable social distancing,” says David Bolt, VP Sales & Solution Consulting Kapsch TrafficCom. “In Melbourne, for example, the city has fast-tracked some 40 kilometres of bike lanes within the CBD. This has been a real success story, but it is only a question of time before the numbers of cars on the road increase again. And on the grounds of the current COVID-19 situation, many people will continue to avoid public transport whenever they can.” Those responsible should therefore grasp the opportunity existing now to get things back on the right track. Digitally integrated systems have proven in practice to be very effective here.

Smart Cities

Kapsch is working together with Melbourne University and the Department of Transport (Victoria) on a number of projects within the Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES) environment – a world-first living laboratory based on the streets of Melbourne. “This testbed was established to test highly integrated transport technology with the goal to deliver safer, cleaner, and more sustainable urban transport outcomes,” explains David Bolt.

Real-time traffic data

Two applications within this mobility hub are the modular and highly scalable Kapsch solutions ‘Smart Intersections’ and ‘Intelligent Corridors’. They focus on a view to change the habits of how people move in a network and to provide operators increased situational awareness. As David Bolt explains, “Real-time traffic data is key to a smart and sustainable traffic management. Our integrated EcoTrafiX™ software platform is the centre of the corridor management, assisting various agencies to manage and coordinate congestion and events in a coordinated fashion. People and the environment both benefit as a result.”

For additional information: www.kapsch.net/ktc?lang=en-us

Contacts

Carolin Treichl T +43 50 811 1710 carolin.treichl@kapsch.net