In any survey of the needs of users of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), it must first be defined who we mean by the term "user". Various definitions have been put forward covering vehicle users, pedestrians, public transport passengers, freight forwarders, fleet operators and system operators in addition to the overall transport system itself. For the purpose of this paper, the term is confined to road (including multi-modal) transport users and operators. This paper considers the actual requirements of travellers or freight as they undertake or plan a journey and the requirements of those providing a service associated with that travel. It is important to recognise that the needs of users must be separated from the benefits of a particular scheme. Clearly, where the users are expected to pay a fee for the use of a service or facility, the value of that service to the user must be sufficient to outweigh the costs he incurs. However, the benefits of many ITS services do not always come to the immediate user and some benefits cannot be easily equated to conventional cost benefit study techniques. This paper does not attempt to quantify the costs or benefits of schemes but to identify those facilities which users would find useful and helpful as they use the road network. The context of the application is also important to the perceived needs of users. This can significantly affect their requirements and will often dramatically influence the perceived benefits of any system. For example, the requirements of urban and interurban travellers are different and the needs of different classes of traveller or freight are also different. The general information needs of each class of user are considered in this paper and how ITS applications may be able to satisfy those needs effectively and more efficiently than existing facilities.
Samenvatting