Key stakeholders in global transportation and ministers from Europe gathered in Leipzig, Germany this week to decide on the fate of future transportation and how it could be evolved to changing digitised and automated systems involving fewer accidents. In a move to showcase the future of vehicle transportation, German Transport and Digital Infrastructure Minister Alexander [...]

The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

Driving in automated digitised vehicles is the future

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Key stakeholders in global transportation and ministers from Europe gathered in Leipzig, Germany this week to decide on the fate of future transportation and how it could be evolved to changing digitised and automated systems involving fewer accidents.

In a move to showcase the future of vehicle transportation, German Transport and Digital Infrastructure Minister Alexander Dobrindt arrived in an automated self-driving car to the International Transport Forum (ITF) 2015 on Wednesday.

At the opening plenary, he spoke on the explosion in digitisation of mobility with most youth today thinking of the different modes of transportation to take to work depending on the time and traffic conditions.

In this respect, there is no one way of travelling but many modes to be used at different times.

Minister Dobrindt explained that in future the BMW i3 model of automated self-driving cars would be made increasingly available and would be the third most important item on the list of persons as it would operate without any accidents.

In a video speech released earlier UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon had urged transport ministers to accelerate efforts to combat climate change and “find new green solutions”.

“I urge all of you to accelerate your efforts,” Mr. Ban said adding that “It is time to reshape the world’s transport systems for a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future.”

International Transport Forum Secretary General Jose Viegas addressing the gathering said that success of trade and tourism was based on efficient transport systems but the key issues relating to these still remain.

In this respect, the ITF is expected to carry out greater coordination and act as a disseminator of results aimed at playing a key role in bringing about more efficient transportation systems that could be linked in a connected world.

Keynote speaker at the opening International Economics and Business Professor Pravin Krishna from the John Hopkins University commented on the three main issues facing the global community today.

He highlighted that better infrastructure development and improved transport systems with access to global markets could reduce poverty levels.
In addition, the shifting of production processes from the West to Asian and increasingly into China was found to even reverse to some extent today, Prof. Krishna said. Moreover, he pointed out that corruption and malpractices were key issues to establishing quality transport networks due to funding infrastructure development.

Meanwhile, the ITF released the Annual Report on Road Safety 2015 which highlights some of the reductions in road accidents in 32 countries covered by the International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD)

In most of the developed countries the report highlighted that though there was a reduction in the number of accidents it could also be contributed to the depression and even the advancing technical standards for road infrastructure and vehicles, improved emergency and health care, the report stated.

Overall due to the limited distance travelled by young people, a drop in speed and drink driving and in driving licence acquisition rate has contributed to about two-thirds of the decrease in fatalities between 2008 and 2010, the data shows.

It was found that drink driving, speeding, non-wearing of seat belts and motorcycle helmets represented common safety challenges in all countries.

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