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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Traffic management: its future role and organisational alternatives

Liikenteenhallinnan tulevaisuuden rooli ja organisoinnin vaihtoehdot

This study has been commissioned by the Finnish Transport Agency and relates to the request for comment on the future of the traffic management by the Ministry of Transport and Communication on 1st of June 2010. The future role of traffic management and the different organisational alternatives within maritime transport, road traffic and railway traffic were studied for this report. Traffic management is facing great changes and thus there should be a clear vision of its future. This report offers the starting point for creating this vision. Regardless of the mode of transport, traffic management comprises the following functional entities: the management of traffic network demand and usage, the follow-up of the traffic flow and traffic conditions, the information to be given on the traffic flow including driver support and passenger information, traffic supervision, traffic control as well as the management of disturbances and exceptional situations. The role of traffic management and its significance varies in the different modes of transport. The starting point of this study is that the role and significance of traffic management will be emphasized in the future. In the target state of traffic management the activities are developed by means of coordination with regard to the transport system perspective, the opportunities provided by intelligent transport systems as well as the special characteristics and varying demands of the different modes of transport. In order to secure smooth and safe transport, services are offered both within the different modes of transport and in the travel and transport chains. Basic services within traffic management are such services, without which transport is practically impossible. The public administration is on the one hand responsible for the statutory production of basic services and on the other hand the service producer has a national monopoly on this. The functions beyond the basic services are value-added services, which the Finnish Transport Agency enables by offering access to valuable information, which in the future also will include traffic situation images. The way in which the traffic management is organised influences the operations and systems, the interagency cooperation, safety and preparedness. On the basis of SWOT analyses there are three realistic alternatives for how the operative functions of the traffic management could be organised: a decentralised model, a centralised model as part of official duties and the model as a centralised, state-owned company. In all alternatives it is a prerequisite that the railway traffic management is separated from the VR Group. Of these alternatives it is estimated that the model centralised, state-owned company best would meet the present and future demands of traffic management. No changes are proposed regarding the Finnish Transport Agency's responsibilities, which thereby still is the competent authority responsible for the traffic management development. The agency also owns the traffic management infrastructure. The operative traffic management will continue to take place in the traffic management centres of the transport mode in question, since the extent, significance and functions of traffic management vary in the different modes of transport and the work in the traffic management centres requires special knowledge of each of the transport modes. A transition to the proposed model requires thorough preparations especially in view of the authority roles and cooperation. This report may be found at http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lts_2011-06_liikenteenhallinnan_web.pdf

Language

  • Finnish

Media Info

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01334369
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Finnish Transport Agency
  • ISBN: 978-952-255-621-9
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Mar 28 2011 2:36PM