SOCRATES (system of cellular radio for travel efficiency and safety) is following up its success in the DRIVE and Advanced Transport Telematics programmes with demonstrations supported by the European Union Fourth Framework Programme and parallel actions which will lead to SOCRATES services being made commercially available. This paper describes the SOCRATES 3 project which is coordinating the continuing development and demonstration of SOCRATES. There are three linked demonstrations taking place in the Hessen and Nord-Rhein Westfalia regions of Germany and in the Eurodelta test site in The Netherlands. The SOCRATES 3 project brings together local, regional and national authorities responsible for traffic management, with industrialists, motor manufacturers, communications operators, motoring organisations, consultants and universities, aiming at a coordinated, integrated and interoperable development throughout Europe. This paper presents the strategy and scope of the project, and the relationship between activities financially supported by the EU and parallel privately funded actions designed to lead to the launch of commercial socrates services. It describes the features of the demonstrations including "roaming" between areas serviced by different socrates information centres and the use of new end-user terminals. The paper also addresses the public/private partnership issues involved in establishing the framework for sustainable commercial operations.
Abstract