Executive Summary
Methodology and Representation
The questionnaire was answered by 229 authorities (27 percent). The survey can be considered reasonably representative in terms of authority size. With respect to the total population size of the CEE countries the Baltic States are over-represented, while South-East Europe is under-represented due to unexpectedly high/low response rates respectively. The trends and results of the survey are presented within the
following pages of the Executive Summary, and elaborated in more detail
in the respective chapters of this report. Wherever any deviations from
the general trends were observed, these are presented according to the
following categories and hierarchy:
Geographically: for Central Europe (including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary); South-East Europe (including Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia); and for the Baltic States (including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia);
By public authority size: either for those authorities governing not more than 50,000 inhabitants; for those authorities governing between 50,000 and 200,000 inhabitants; and for those larger authorities governing over 200,000 inhabitants;
1st wave and 2nd wave accession countries.
Factual Information on the Transport System
The transport situation in the ten accession countries’ local self-governing bodies can be characterised in the following way:Compared with many EU authorities, the once high level of public transport use is falling rapidly. High increases in car ownership. More than 20 percent of larger authorities experienced air quality incidents during 1997. Air quality standards are below EU-levels. In over half of the surveyed authorities, public transport is operated by private companies (although these are for the most part public sector controlled).
Key Problems and Policy Areas
According to the survey, the most important transport-related problems among the ten accession countries’ authorities in the long term are those related to transport infrastructure (especially the condition of roads and public transport vehicles, associated with funding difficulties). Sixty-one percent of the surveyed authorities indicated the poor condition and maintenance of roads is an important problem, which will require many years to solve. Other important long-term problems are the "lack of parking spaces" and "low quality of rolling stock and infrastructure". In the short term, the "lack of traffic information for divers and travellers" and "low efficiency of traffic management" are the most acute transport problems. Among the highest priorities within future transport policies are to improve road conditions, the quality of infrastructure and to increase parking capacity in inner city areas. Traffic congestion and pollution, predominant among EU authorities, are still considered less important.At the same time, according to the survey there appears to be a lack
of transport planning, indicated by the fact that only 26 percent of the
surveyed authorities have implemented comprehensive transport plans. However,
this can be expected to change, particularly among larger authorities.
Many of the surveyed authorities already appreciate the need for elaborating
comprehensive transport and land use plans (indicated by 44 percent), and
for developing new strategies for traffic management (37 percent). In addition,
decision-makers expressed considerable progress had been made through new
(sectoral) policies, but many are concerned by the time required and the
difficulty to address the real driving forces.
Impact and Relevance of Technology
Transport decision-makers in the ten accession countries respond less positively to the opportunity presented by IST/telematic solutions for problem-solving, and consider their impact less significant than their counterparts within the EU countries. However, CEE authorities believe telematics systems might be useful in solving especially important short-term transport problems. The most significant impact of telematics is seen in improving the access to mobility information and services, indicated by 36 percent of the responding authorities. Additionally, decision-makers believe telematics can help improve the quality of public transport services, the efficiency of freight delivery and traffic safety, as well as several other key problems. The significant impact of telematics is generally anticipated by around 20-25 percent of the surveyed authorities. The order of importance attached to these corresponds well with EU countries.Expected Benefits and Obstacles in Using Telematics Technology
The somewhat more critical attitude towards the potential of telematics systems within the accession countries is partly due to the generally low level of expertise in applying telematics. Only 35 percent of decision-makers stated they have at least a good understanding of some of the key areas. Authorities, however, lack training and education facilities for administrative staff. Other obstacles for better telematics uptake in the transport field besides insufficient public funds are the lack of data or information for new services and internal problems such as institutional and inter-departmental co-operation.The main benefits arising from the use of telematics applications are
expected to be generally higher quality of transport services, greater
cost-efficiency, and improved planning and decision-making. Although CEE
decision-makers are less clear about benefits and obstacles, overall trends
are similar to those of the EU.
Internal Use of Telematics Systems
The current use of telematics systems among many authorities can be described as poor. In addition, many of the basic pre-conditions for the uptake of telematics within the coming years appear to be missing, especially among smaller authorities and those in South-East Europe and the Baltic States, where improvement of the framework conditions for the use of telematics systems is urgently needed.
The availability of transport related data is often insufficient. Data is most commonly available for the "current position of buses/trams in the network" and "free parking places," for which half of the authorities mentioned data is sufficiently available. Most data is available among larger authorities. These authorities in particular are also planning to improve their information resources relating to the current transport situation.
The use of telematics applications for managing traffic is not widespread. Larger authorities emerge above average. Among the technologies at least partly used are: centralised traffic signal control (23 percent), flexible signal plans, public transport priority and traffic sensors (each 20 percent).
Other technologies such as VMS and automatic scheduling of trams are used by only 11 percent or less. Most of the surveyed authorities indicated plans to apply telematics for traffic management in the future. The major priorities relate to road traffic, i.e. in the areas of: "central traffic signal control", "flexible signal plans" and "automatic co-ordination of urban and regional traffic."
In-house telematics systems to support the tasks of transport planning
and management are not widespread.
Telematics applications for "road maintenance or construction planning"
are indicated to be in used by some 40 percent of the surveyed authorities,
while for transport demand planning by 36 percent. Other tasks like "signal
plans definition/operations" and "road side equipment/surveillance" are
supported by telematics systems in only one quarter of the surveyed authorities.
Approximately 60 percent of authorities intend to increase the use of telematics
for better road maintenance and construction planning and for improving
transport demand planning. The interest in telematics applications generally
is higher among medium-sized and large authorities, except for "road maintenance
and construction planning."
Basic technologies, such as Internet, e-mail and mobile telephony (GSM)
are used by one third of the surveyed authorities. Although considerably
lower than in the EU, this indicates a very high level of use of new basic
information technology tools among CEE authorities, even if deployment
within administration is still low. Other more sophisticated technical
systems, for example, smart cards, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
or satellite based positioning are used by no more than 5 percent of all
CEE authorities. GIS, Internet/e-mail and smart cards are seen by more
than half of the surveyed authorities as basic technologies and are of
future priority.
Delivery of Information and Public Services
Although few dedicated transport information "services" exist within the CEE countries, many decision-makers indicated they deliver information on a range of issues (around 60 percent for most issues). Most notably for current roadworks and other incidents. In the future, priorities are for real-time road user information (parking spaces and traffic conditions).The most important technical platforms used by authorities to deliver
these information services are radio and television, as well as telephone
and fax. VMS based information dissemination is extremely low (indicated
by only 9 percent). Internet services are more common than VMS. In order
to achieve greater use of transport related information services, the technical
preconditions for CEE authorities (especially for those of smaller size)
need to be improved.
Future Interests
The survey identified the future interests of local self-governing authorities, particularly with regard to telematics-oriented conferences and workshops (for example, those being prepared under the CAPE project). CEE authorities indicated high interest for a broad variety of areas including "traffic calming (speed control)," "parking management," "real-time public transport information," and "public transport vehicle scheduling and control." Medium-sized and large authorities generally appear to be more interested in learning about telematics applications. In addition to that, CEE authorities indicated particular interest in using telematics applications for road maintenance and construction planning.Specific interests in technologies is highest for "real-time data acquisition", VMS, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data exchange. The demand to learn more about these technologies is above average within larger authorities.
The relevance of dissemination formats planned by CAPE (especially good practice guidelines, targeted training sessions) was confirmed by high ratings from the target group.
4 Although the relevance of this particular
statement appears to be clearly influenced by a very wide understanding
of "information and communication technologies".
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
