Project News: SIMBA India National Event, 21-22 November 2007

Date: 10 December 2007

Discussions at SIMBA event in India conclude with priorities for EU-India cooperation in ITS.

Jointly organised by ERTICO - ITS Europe and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the SIMBA India National Event, was held on 21-22 November 2007. It was a unique opportunity for key stakeholders from Europe and India to meet and share information on ITS.
 
Taking place in the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the event focused on topics related to ITS, infrastructure and autmotive fields.
 
The aim was to create joint EU-India working groups, project proposals and joint road transport research roadmaps. Progress on the project proposals that were identified in the Priority Workshop of November 2006 were also presented.

ITS discussions concluded with clear priorities and possible working groups in EU-India cooperation in the areas of integrated telematics platform/OBU, road user charging (highway tolling), advanced traffic management and public transport. The next step is the formation of a steering committee with champions for each Working Group (WG) theme that identify requirements, priority list of activities, definition of clear objectives and the identification of local stakeholders to participate in WG activities. A draft activity plan will be presented at the SIMBA final workshop on 25 February 2008 in Brussels, Belgium. Proposed potential projects on ITS included the management of a large event on mobility.
 
Infrastructure priorities between both regions appeared to be on road safety, marginalised material - low volume traffic roads, pedestrian impact with regard to buses and trucks, a framework for mobility behavioural change from private to public transport and a transfer of knowledge in Urban Air Pollution Monitoring (Cooperation with ICAP).
 
Automotive discussions concluded with priorities in the areas of bio-diesel, an ethanol-E10 study, hydrogen actions, and hybrid technology. Other prospective projects could be considered in the fields of two and three wheelers and in standards for Electronic Safety Control addressed through traffic control & education.

Participants at the India national event included members of the government, industry, universities and research organisations.

The final agenda, presentations and results of break-out sessions can be found here on the SIMBA website, http://www.simbaproject.org/en/simba_regions/india/india_events/india_national_event_-_21-22_november_2007.htm

For further information, please contact ERTICO Junior Project Manager Javier Barrio or visit the SIMBA website.