The main idea behind the project was to examine if the data available to the road data banks in the Nordic countries could be used by others than the road authorities; to the benefit of both parties. The project was financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers and commenced in 1987 and completed in the middle of 1989. Reports were submitted in 1990. The project focuses primarily on the group of professional goods carriers who need information about the road network in connection with freight transport and for registration and payment systems. The survey was carried out by collecting a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. Selected transport firms and transport organisations/motorist organisations in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden answered identical questionnaires. Later firms and organisations representing all the countries involved were selected for supplementary interviews for the purpose of further elaborating on the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires with qualitative knowledge about information requirements. The survey shows that a number of professional freight transport operators are very interested in further and easier access to certain road-related data, data primarily of a statistical nature. However, there are many problems which must be solved before up-dated data can be continuously communicated/sold to other bodies than the road authorities. These considerations have already now led to a follow-up project described in the project description for the Nordic Information System for Transport and Administration (NITA). Now being examined are the product possibilities in the coming years with the transport sector as the target group.
Abstract