Stratum Traffic Engineering Supports Austrian Kosovo Smart Mobility Day 2015
Kosovo Smart Mobility Day 2015
Pristina, 25.11.2015: Austrian Kosovo Mobility Day 2015 focusing the topics of SMART Mobility – Smart City – Smart Infrastructure and Smart Infrastructure was organized by Austrian Kosovo Society and UBT. Kosovo invests huge amount in its road network linking the country towards its neighboring countries, whereas question rises how to enable respective “return on invest”. During his opening speech Gunter Fehlinger, President of Austrian Kosovo Society mentioned how important mobility is for Kosovo in order to generate economic growth. The region is facing the situation that during summer time in July and August diaspora visits the region and roads, as well as border crossings are overloaded. However alternative modes of transport rather not exists. 60 Years ago it has been possible to travel by train from Brussels via Belgrade and Thessaloniki to Athens, but in 2015 these links have partly been cut and require respective investment.
Mr. Gunther Fehlinger – President of Austria Kosovo Society
Mr. Christoph Demuth, Managing Partner of Stratum Traffic Engineering GmbH during his key note speech provided an overview of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), whereas respective tolling systems such as km based road pricing and/or time/area based congestion charging are only part of the multi-billion on Euro market of ITS. Many applications are related to traffic management, traffic information and other.
Christoph Demuth
Transport policies require detailed analysis in order to enable politicians making the right decision. The current debate of implementing road pricing on some parts of the first class road network in Kosovo and fees of 5 EUR per trip rather seems not to be the best “economic” price. According to Demuth implementation of respective pricing schemes requires preparation such as investments in public transport systems as an alternative, generating an awareness within the population that safe mobility is not free of charge and information about how such systems will be implemented and how respective revenues will be re-invested in transport.
Nenad Makelarski
Mr. Demuth has been accompanied by its local Macedonian Partner Mr. Nenad Makelarski, Мanаging Partner of street lightning specialist Illumina Verde, which is associated Partner of Stratum Traffic Engineering Network.
Possible structure of new Kosovo Transport Holding
Moreover Demuth initiated a debate of reorganizing transport in Kosovo by establishing Kosovo Transport Holding as a public limited company 100% owned by Kosovo somehow similar to Austrian ASFINAG or Danish Sund og Baelt, whereas the company shall consists of four subsidiaries: KOSOVO Transport INFRASTRUCTURE, Kosovo ROADS, Kosovo PUBLIC TRANSPORT and Kosovo MOBILITY.
Demuth has shown that Austria relays on various pricing schemes. ASFINAG generates by its various tolling systems, such as manual tolling at some special tolling sections for Tunnels and bridges, including Video Tolling for registered users, obligatory Vignette for all passenger vehicles < 3.5t using 1st class road network and last but not least the DSRC based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) “Go-Mautsystem” for heavy goods vehicles > 3.5 t annual revenues of 1.7 billion EUR. Moreover the city of Vienna by its parking management for on-street parking generates revenues of EUR 165 million in 2013, whereas annual ticket for its dense public transport systems costs EUR 365 p.a., which is EUR 1,- per day. On-street parking in most of the districts in Vienna requires payment of EUR 2,- per hour between 09:00 and 22:00 o’clock. Moreover engine based insurance tax is charged by insurance companies based on the car liability insurance.
According to Mr. Demuth Kosovo needs to build and/or enlarge local knowledge base in Transport Economics and Intelligent Transport Systems. Therefore academic sector, local ICT/ITS industry and foreign experts shall collaborate forming a local ITS Cluster well connected within the region and abroad.
Managing Partner of Kosovo company logistics plus Arbër B. Bakija already provides car tracking as a service to its clients, such as operators of heavy goods vehicles and owners of passenger cars as kind of “anti-theft service” in order to localize stolen vehicles.
Arbër B. Bakija
Valton Tytynxhiu
Mr. Tytynxhiu of Federation of Auto Sports Kosovo FASK presented the ongoing activities of the association in the field of motorsports and the vision to assist motorists and collaborate with organizations from abroad.
Cooperation between UBT and Dr. Demuth, who also teaches Applied Economics at University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna has been discussed, in order to set-up an interdisciplinary program of Economics and technical studies such as Information Technologies and/or Mechatronics including respective research. UBT students shall have the possibility to write Thesis and Master Thesis in the Field of Transport Economics and Intelligent Transport Systems. Moreover research of local academic staff and experts from abroad shall be performed.
Furthemore, ConnectSouthEast, a NGO based in Vienna, dealing with Transport Economics and Intelligent Transport Systems is a platform for stakeholders from the Balkan Region intends to establish respective working groups within the region. Therefore ConnectSouthEast and Austrian Kosovo society will cooperate jointly organizing respective events in Kosovo and Austria. Therefore next event will take place in Pristina on 1.2.2016, whereas participation of former EU commissioner and president of European Forum Alpbach Dr. Franz Fischler has been confirmed. Before the upcoming event joint working group of UBT, Austrian Kosovo Society and ConnectSouthEast working group meeting will take place discussing transport matters, whereas the outcome will be presented during the event on 1.2.2016.
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