Have you ever thought about the infinite precise computation, information control and technology innovation behind the connection of mobility transport between two locations? In addition, continuous advancements in shared cars, connected car technology and autonomous vehicles have gradually accelerated the pace of their implementation and application. These technologies make personal transportation in cities and remote areas more precise, convenient and comfortable.
The Taiwan government actively promotes smart transportation policies that leverage technologies such as autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Vehicles, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and transportation sharing to make personal transportation in cities and remote areas more accurate, convenient and comfortable.
Six major strategies to enrich the mobility experience
Since 2017, the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications has invested NT$ 3 billion into promoting their four-year “Smart Transportation System Development and Construction Program” aimed at creating a comprehensive smart city transportation system that showcases safety, unobstructed traffic and seamless transportation, transportation sharing, and environmental sustainability. To achieve this, the program is focused on strategies for smart traffic safety, congestion solutions for transport corridors, the convenience of transportation to eastern Taiwan and suburban townships, transportation resource integration and sharing, development and application of internet of vehicles technologies, smart transportation infrastructure, and technology R&D.
Public transportation in Taiwan faces a variety of challenges, owing to its complex traffic conditions, small densely-populated land areas, diverse modes of transport available (high-speed rail, Taiwan railway, MRT, light rail and highways), as well as the high volume of scooters and personal vehicles on city streets. Moreover, thriving industry clusters in Taiwan for the electronic, electrical and mechanical, and semiconductor fields continue to drive information and telecommunication development, creating a conducive environment for smart transportation innovation.
New mobility experience will gradually unfold in different areas in Taiwan
The Taiwan manufacturing sector for scooters is well-developed, with profound effects on industry growth. Hence, one of the project initiatives was focused on scooter safety. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) collaborated with the Institute of Information Industry (III) to implement scooter safety projects in three major university campuses. Autonomous reporting devices were installed on the scooters and roadside sensor equipment was placed along campus intersections. The project proved to be a success, with substantially reduced incidence rates as the installed equipment detected and immediately issued warnings to vehicle/scooter drivers.
This collaboration won the 2019 World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) Award in the categories of Global ICT Excellence Award and the 2020 Edison Awards. In the future, integration with shared services for electronic and regular scooters will allow the public to also experience the benefits of this technology early on and speed up smart city development.
Additionally, smart transportation for the rural area has been listed as one of the key objectives for the MOTC to narrow down the city-township transportation gap and address the need for better transport to this area. Under the directive, MOTC and III worked together to develop the demand-responsive transport system (DRTS) and smart energy-saving hand-waving stop, creating new momentum for the Jian-Shan Township. This successful endeavor gained recognition in the 2018 R&D 100 Awards.
Other noteworthy projects include the Carpooling and Happy Bus platforms which integrated local modes of transportation with human resources to enhance safety and convenience for residents commuting to school, seeking medical assistance or returning home. This improved community cohesion and residents’ overall sense of wellbeing.
2020 marked the start of 5G, and Taiwan is set to double its investments in smart transportation in the next five years!
These investments would not only improve the local smart transportation infrastructure and expand the reach of previous technology success cases, but also push forward innovation and growth of experimental fields. Consequently, industries will grow robustly in this dynamic environment, bringing the infinite possibilities of Taiwan’s smart transportation into the global spotlight.
