The Ministry of Transport has clarified what the government’s role around telematics and associated technologies will look like.
Following the ministry’s June conversation paper on intelligent transport systems, subsequent stakeholder workshops revealed that the transport industry felt there was: “A lack of coordination within and between the private and public sectors, lack of information sharing and a perceived lack of government leadership.”
DIESELtalk reported here that the lack of an industry group in New Zealand concerned some industry stakeholders. The MoT responded that if a group was formed, it would work with it.
“Because of the potential gains to freight productivity from increased telematics use, we would want to work with it,” Gavin Middleton, senior MoT advisor told DIESELtalk in August.
The MoT’s senior advisor, Brent Johnston was at last weekend’s Road Transport Forum (RTF) conference, and updated delegates around the Government’s ITS Action Plan, which is set to shape future government approach toward more widespread use of transport telematics.
An MoT spokesperson exclusively told DIESELtalk that: “Intelligent transport systems have the potential to make significant contributions towards achieving the long term outcomes the government seeks from the transport industry.”
The ministry, says the spokesperson, is pleased with E-RUC adoption: “The good uptake of E-RUC since its introduction is a positive; and there may be further opportunities to use ITS (telematics) to simplify compliance and make it more cost effective for heavy vehicle operators. “We are focussed on exploring these opportunities.”
Within the E-RUC market currently, there are just two authorised E-RUC providers, and with just one other application currently in the frame, an announcement on a prospective new provider is not anticipated until the end of the year at the earliest.
The bar is raised high when it comes to E-RUC – public money is at stake and entry costs and systems capability is proving prohibitive in attracting new entrants in meaningful numbers.
Another recent development that the MoT points to is ‘electronic logbooks’. These are now enabled as an alternative to paper-based systems and provide a simple means for drivers to log work details. The new e-logbooks help operators comply with record keeping and managing work and rest hours.
The government is keen to widen the telematics net, says the MoT’s spokesperson: “There is a range of potential solutions in development globally and it is important that the government takes a strategic approach to the roll-out of ITS in New Zealand – to ensure best value for money for the public.”
“This will require close collaboration and dialogue across government and with industry stakeholders to better understand the opportunities ITS technologies provide, and the barriers to their implementation.”
Read more on the current and future role of telematics in transport in the next DIESELtalk magazine/PDF’s special industry report. Contributions to the feature should be sent to chris@autotalk.co.nz
