Intelligent transportation systems and information and communication technologies will soon be placed under the microscope by AMITRAN.
The European project will look into CO2 emissions from the transport sector and will run for 30 months until April, 2014. It is being co-funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission and the total budget amounts to €2.6million.
AMITRAN will attempt to develop a CO2 assessment methodology for information and communication technologies, including multi-modal passenger and freight transport taking into account everything from user behaviour to CO2 production. It will look to develop interfaces for models and simulation tools; validate the proposed methodology and its implementation with data from other projects and studies; and produce an online checklist and handbook.
The introduction of information and communication technologies in the transport sector will involve a wide variety of services that aim to reduce emissions and maximise efficiency, while also increasing safety and managing transport demand. Examples include intelligent transportation systems such as: route advice; navigation systems; road tolls; logistics and fleet management systems; and more.
According to Gerdien Klunder, AMITRAN’s co-ordinator and a researcher at TNO, there is currently no consistent methodology that allows scientists to measure the potential CO2 emissions that these technologies could reduce. This information, he states, is critical for decision makers, particularly in the context of climate change agreements.
