The ERTICO Partner Cities of Toulouse and Dubai have been nominated as preferred cities to host future ITS Congresses. ERTICO has already started negotiations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to make this happen. It is planned to hold the ITS European Congress in Toulouse in 2022, and the ITS World Congress in Dubai in 2024. ERTICO Partners Dubai RTA and Toulouse Metropole have already great plans for a spectacular hosting of the ITS Congress, one of the greatest ITS events in the world.
The ITS European Congress is the largest event entirely dedicated to smart mobility and digitalisation of transport and it is part of the cluster of ITS Congresses organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe. For all European Congresses, ERTICO and its Partners work closely with the European Commission and the Host city to deliver an outstanding and well-attended event.
The City of Toulouse has shown itself to be truly adaptable to the latest smart mobility innovations. For example, as a complement to the emergency measures on ‘tactical urban planning’ set up in the context of COVID-19, the Metropolis, with the support of local associations, has launched a campaign to encourage citizens to change their mobility habits in favour of cycling (training sessions, a test of electric bikes or cargo bikes, awareness of road safety, personal equipment etc.).
The Metropolis has also invested 7.5 million EURO in a cycling programme that includes the installation of bicycle streets ‘vélorue’, putting up « give way » signs to give priority to bicycles, and creating several ‘meeting zones’ in the city centre, where the speed is reduced for all vehicles at 20 km/h maximum, to facilitate and encourage active modes over the long-term. Moreover, Toulouse Métropole has started to deploy bicycle services in areas of the territory that are currently the least well-equipped (the metropolitan area including 37 municipalitites).
The ITS World Congress rotates between the EMEA region, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The next ITS World Congress will be in October this year in Hamburg. With Dubai as preferred City, this would bring the ITS World Congress into a location in the EMEA region that is for the first time outside Europe.
‘Hosting the ITS World Congress 2024 in Dubai underscores the rising global standing of the Emirates in the field of ITS, the confidence of such reputed entities in the role of Dubai, and the ability of the city to stage successful global events,’ says His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General and the Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, representing the City of Dubai.
The hosting of the Congress comes in light of the massive steps made by Dubai in advancing ITS. Dubai RTA has been implementing various projects in anticipation of the event such as intelligent transport centres, and self-driving transport. It is also proceeding ahead with the Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy which aims at converting 25% of total mobility journeys in the city of Dubai into smart self-driving trips by 2030.
Dubai RTA has recently opened the Dubai Intelligent Traffic Systems Centre, one of the largest traffic control centres in the world in terms of modern technologies used. The centre will expand the intelligent traffic systems coverage of Dubai’s main roads to 60%.
‘The prestige of organising the World ITS Congress in Dubai is a further endorsement that we are moving on the right direction towards delivering on the ambitious vision of the Government to build the renaissance, wellbeing and the global image of Dubai,’ says His Excellency Mattar Mohammed, Al Tayer.
