Today representatives of Thessaloniki’s local and regional governmental institutions presented their plans on deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems for the 2014-2020 period in an open forum on ITS. This event welcomed the Compass4D fifth meeting in Europe where industry stakeholders, public authorities and users had the chance to exchange different views on cooperation schemes and common policy priorities and actions.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Governor Region of Central Macedonia, stated that “smart mobility systems are a central axis in the Region’s programme for the period of 2014-2020. We aim to make the Region of Central Macedonia an internationally competitive and innovative region in the sector of smart and sustainable mobility”.
The debate was held in the framework of the “Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Week: The future for ITS”. The event was of major importance, as highlighted by Giannis Mpoutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki, as “it illustrates the actions that the municipality of Thessaloniki has taken and the initiatives in which it has participated both at European and national levels” paving the way to “a Smart City which supports sustainable mobility”.
Compass4D operational phase just started
During the day, a live demonstration of Compass4D services was organised in Thessaloniki city centre where some of the over 150 taxis equipped with Compass4D services drove through the pilot site to show the state of the art of Compass4D in a delicate moment for the project.
Compass4D has in fact just completed the installation and pre-operational testing phases in the 7 pilot sites where about 500 vehicles (trucks, cars, taxis, buses, vans and emergency vehicles) have been equipped with on-board units and will be piloted for one year. The operational procedures will soon be launched on public roads of all 7 pilot sites, where local teams will ensure that the cooperative systems and services (C-ITS) are working properly and will provide support for the users in a sustainable way.
In Thessaloniki, Compass4D is deploying harmonised C-ITS services in 150 taxis from the Taxiway company involving more than 200 drivers. The services have now become reality in the two locations of the pilot site; the Energy Efficient Intersection (EEI) service will be implemented along the Tsimiski Street, one of the main urban arterials in the central area of the city, whilst the Road Hazard Warning (RHW) service will be provided along the Peripheral Ring Road of Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki is one of the seven first cities in Europe that has installed and will maintain interconnection and communication technologies between vehicles and smart roads. Those technologies will support a more environmental friendly, energy productive and uncongested city’s network. Thessaloniki is becoming a smart city and plays a central role in the evolution of ITS deployment in Europe. “The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), part of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), supports the initiatives which relate to the deployment and the implementation of Smart Mobility Systems and solutions for Smart Cities”. HIT exploits “the knowledge gained from research directly for the improvement of the daily life of travellers”; George Giannopoulos, Director of the Hellenic Institute of Transport, concluded.
A strong partnership
In addition to Thessaloniki, Compass4D will equip the cities of Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Helmond, Newcastle, Verona and Vigo with cooperative ITS services. These cities are all very committed in terms of cooperative systems deployment and are willing to further invest in road safety, energy efficiency and congestion reducing measures. But they are not alone; Compass4D has already attracted other cities; Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Tilburg (in the Netherlands), Mechelen (Belgium) and Tampere (Finland), have become associated partners of the project.
The project is coordinated by ERTICO – ITS Europe and consists of 33 partners: City of Copenhagen; City of Helmond; Newcastle City Council; City of Vigo; City of Verona; Region of Central Macedonia; French Ministry of Ecology, Development and Energy (MEDDE); Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH); Automotive Technological Centre of Galicia (CTAG); Equipos de Señalizacion y Control (ESYCSA); TAXIWAY; Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA); GEOLOC Systems; Institute of Communication and Computer System (ICCS); IDIADA Automotive Technology; French Insititute of Science and Technology, Developments and Networks (IFSTTAR); IMTECH Traffic & INFRA B.V.; INFOTRIP; IRU Projects; Mathias Paul Ewald (MAT Traffic); PEEK Traffic B.V.; Imtech Traffic & Infra A/S; Siemens; Swarco Mizar; Telecom Italia; TOPOS Aquitaine; TNO; University of Newcastle; Vialis; Vitrasa; Volvo Technology; V-TRON.
All partners and associated partners can be found here
Note to the editor:
Full statements of the authorities’ representatives
Apostolos Tzitzikostas – Governor Region of Central Macedonia
The Region of Central Macedonia’s authorities implement the policies for the increase of innovation and competition continuing a set of previous relevant actions that are already successfully completed. The RCM is a region in a crucial position regarding the country’s connectivity with the rest of Europe, maintaining important facilities and transportation networks as well as the critical mass of research institutions and innovative businesses in order support further actions concerning innovative technologies – something that would allow for improvement of competition of all productive sectors of the region. The Smart Mobility Systems constitutes a central ax in the Region’s programme for the period of 2014-2020 for smart specialization, in addition to the promotion of sustainable mobility and mitigation of the effects of the areas with high congestion. We aim to make the RCM an internationally competitive and innovative region in the sector of Smart Mobility for sustainable development and mobility.
Giannis Mpoutaris – Mayor of Thessaloniki
The event “Smart Mobility Week in Thessaloniki: The future of Smart Mobility Systems” is a very important event that takes place in the city for two reasons; first of all, it is an event that shows in practice the cooperation of the main involved authorities – the municipality, region, and HIT- on subjects regarding the implementation of the latest technological developments on the improvement of mobility for Thessaloniki’s citizens. Secondly, it illustrates the actions that the municipality of Thessaloniki has taken and initiatives in which the municipality has participated both on a European and national level, aiming towards a Smart City which supports the sustainable mobility.
George Giannopoulos – Director Hellenic Institute of Transport
The event “Smart Mobility Week in Thessaloniki: The future of Smart Mobility Systems” proves the fact that Thessaloniki is becoming a smart city and that the city plays a central role in the evolution of this sector on a European level. The HIT which is part of CERTH supports in practice all the initiatives which relate to the deployment and the implementation of Smart Mobility Systems and solutions for Smart Cities. In this way, it utilizes the knowledge gained from research directly for the improvement of the daily life of travellers.
About Compass4D
The Compass4D consortium comprises 33 partners including public authorities, service providers, research centres, and users. With a total budget of 9.996.000 Euros, Compass4D will deploy Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in 7 European cities. Through this technology, devices on board the vehicles (private cars, public buses, emergency vehicles, taxis, trucks) will be capable of communicating with the surrounding road infrastructure.
Three services will be deployed in the 7 cities:
Road Hazard Warning (RHW) – reducing road accidents by warning drivers about queuing traffic or other vehicles suddenly breaking/decelerating aheadRed Light Violation Warning (RLVW) – reducing the number of red light violations and to minimise the impacts of such violations (such as emergency vehicles crossing)Energy Efficiency Intersection (EEI) – allowing the driver to choose a fuel-saving and comfortable speed profile to cross the intersection efficiently
Compass4D will hold the final event and demonstrate all its deployed services to the public in October 2015 during the 22nd ITS World Congress in Bordeaux.
Compass4D is co-financed by the European Commission under the CIP – Competitiveness and Innovation Programme and is coordinated by ERTICO – ITS Europe.
For more information, visit www.compass4d.eu
