The interest of Swedish Road Administration in Road Transport Informatics (RTI) goes back at least ten years, both in practice for improving the productivity of road maintenance and road services, especially winter road services, and in principle for developing new services to road users as well as improving the performance of the road transport system. The introduction of new technology in a business requires the renewal of the knowledge base. The latter does not fall from heaven and cannot be planned in a straightforward manner. On the contrary, it must be acquired from continual experimentation (and accompanying failures). From this standpoint Test Site West Sweden, with the City of Gothenburg as focal point was established. The purpose of Test Site West Sweden is fourfold: (1) to acquire new technological know-how, especially with regard to RTI; (2) to find out how new technology works in different applications; (3) to create a systems environment so that functions and products can be tested in a realistic context, and so that different actors are stimulated to engagement and co-operation; and (4) to demonstrate by pilot projects how new technology - in a new setting for the design of an Integrated Road Traffic Environment (IRTE) - can advance the performance of the road transport system.
Samenvatting