"Smart Transportation System" will be expanded to regional small and medium-sized cities

The establishment of a 'smart transportation system' that has been concentrated in the metropolitan area so far will be expanded to small and medium-sized cities in provincial areas.

In particular, for local governments with poor conditions, additional evaluation points will be given.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on March 8 that it will hold a briefing session on the 2022 Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) contest for local governments nationwide.

ITS is a smart transportation system that efficiently manages traffic information with advanced transportation technology and improves traffic efficiency as well as safety through the scientific and automated operation.

In accordance with the Covid-19 guidelines, about 100 people, including the nationwide metropolitan and basic local government officials, will participate in the briefing session, which will provide directions for selection, selection targets, support scale, and procedures.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has supported the construction of the intelligent transportation system (ITS) since 2009 to improve traffic management and communication of local governments and to disseminate high-tech transportation services.

This year, a total of 133 billion won will be provided to various intelligent transportation system construction projects by 56 local governments such as ▲ traffic information collection and provision, CCTV, ▲ incident control system, ▲ smart intersection and crosswalk, ▲ emergency vehicle priority signal system.

Currently, 54 local governments provide high-tech transportation services such as real-time traffic situations and unexpected information to local residents through traffic information centers. However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that it is necessary to spread ITS construction in small and medium cities to the provinces.

The ITS traffic information center construction rate is 100% in special and metropolitan cities, and 75% in Gyeonggi Province, while only 16% in local areas.

Accordingly, the government has reorganized the ITS construction support public offering project (the project to implement the project in 2023) since this year.

■Subjects of support and public offering schedule

The government will receive a proposal for public offering from July for special, metropolitan, provincial, municipal, and county that has established the basic plan for intelligent transportation system (ITS) or is scheduled to be established this year, and to select it in September after a written and presentation evaluation (on-site evaluation if necessary).

In particular, the government subsidy ratio was adjusted to 30% in Seoul, 40% in metropolitan cities, and 60% in cities, cities, and counties.

■Business type

Starting this year, it plans to differentiate the support project, business period, and amount of support by classifying the business into two types: ▲ ITS comprehensive construction and ▲ individual solution. As a result, local governments will be able to apply for necessary projects in consideration of local ITS infrastructure and service demand and budgeting conditions.

■Evaluation index

It plans to strengthen support for local governments with poor business conditions by establishing balanced regional development points in the evaluation items. Local governments whose balanced development indicators announced by the National Balanced Commission fall short of the national average of cities and counties will have a differential point (up to 5 points) depending on the regional development.

In addition, in the case of the newly established individual ITS solution project, if the local governments and industry-academia-research jointly plan to induce the private sector to utilize innovative ideas, a maximum of three points will be granted.

“This year, we reorganized the public offering project to consider the conditions and characteristics of local governments, so we urge the people to actively find and participate in specialized services that have a great effect on the people’s perception,” said Kim Jong-oh, head of the Digital Road Team at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will continue to strengthen support so that people can enjoy safe and convenient intelligent transportation systems (ITS) services throughout the region.”

Reported by Smart City Today 스마트시티투데이