11 October 2013
Car drivers experiencing a traffic jam often do not see any apparent cause on the road. These so-called shockwave jams (also called moving jams) however do have well-determined causes. Various pilots and simulations that have been carried out recently, show evidence that they could be reduced in number and length. The Province of Noord-Brabant jointly with the City Region of Eindhoven and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (I&E) in the Netherlands seek to deal with these shockwave jams in practice.
How can innovative Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) solutions help resolving shockwave jams? The region of Brabant in the Netherlands is seeking for ITS solutions that reduce the (consequences of) shockwave jams. By in-car advice to car drivers such as recommended speed, lane and headway, the shockwave jam should be reduced in number and length or eventually even be prevented.
This announcement is the prior information notice (PIN) of an intended development of non-existing solutions that verifiably and guaranteed reduce the shockwave jams in number and length. The results of a market consultation that has been carried out in March 2013, show strong indication that no solution that has been tested, guaranteed and verifiable capacity to effectively reduce shockwave jams is available on the current market. On this basis it is concluded that a contract is required for research and development to which exemption from Public Procurement Law according to Art 16 f of Directive 2004/18/EC and Art 24e of Directive 2004/17/ECEU legislation is applicable. For this reason the intended contracting authority is allowed to make an exemption on its current procedures and intends to contract following a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) procedure starting on 1 November 2013 with a deadline for proposals on 29 November 2013.
This PIN is meant to give companies that currently have an existing solution the opportunity to bring this solution to the attention of the intended contracting authority. Such solution should comprise a prototype and/or product or service that immediately and without further development can be used and that has been tested, guaranteed and verifiable capacity to effectively reduce shockwave jams in number and length. Any notification on such a solution should comprise a thorough description of this solution and evidence on its existence and effectiveness and should be received by the intended contracting authority by 31 October 2013 at the very latest.
If during the PIN period clear evidence on existing solutions (as described above and meeting the challenges which have been published, see below) is received, the intended contracting authority might modify the challenges, the definition or the procedure for procurement accordingly. If the PCP procedure is started without modifications, the Province of Noord-Brabant intends to start a contract on the required research and development with multiple companies from mid-December 2013.
More information on this intended project, the challenges that need to be addressed and the solution that is searched for, is available at www.brabant.nl/spookfiles. This information also can be found on TenderNed.
