The integration of road transport informatics for demand management

Urban congestion is one of the most serious problems facing transportation experts today. As traffic levels grow, the economic and environmental effects of congestion are being increasingly felt, and effective solutions are therefore being sought in many cities around the world. One possible solution to the congestion problem lies in implementing demand management measures in order to limit demand for available roadspace. New and emerging technologies show significant potential for implementing and enforcing demand management measures, within an integrated system framework. The term `road transport informatics´ is currently used in Europe to describe a broad range of such technologies and systems, which can be used for various applications in the field of highway transportation. The paper describes current progress on a major European study into the use of road transport informatics in implementing demand management policies in urban areas