merrion street

Today, Minister of State Alan Kelly TD welcomed the decision by ERTICO –ITS Europe to host the next European Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Congress in The Convention Centre Dublin in June 2013. This key European transport event will take place during the Irish Presidency of the European Council. It will bring in excess of 2,000 delegates into Dublin and provides an opportunity to showcase our state-of-the-art deployments in transport technology.

This event will also provide a significant boast to the local tourism industry. It will promote Irish industry and facilitate much needed employment creation in the transport technology sector. In these times of austerity, the need to get more from existing transport infrastructure is paramount. ITS, as the application of information communications technology to road and public transport, can make travel and transport safer, more efficient and more sustainable. ITS technologies such as smartcard ticketing and real time passenger information systems facilitate modal shift to public transport. Electronic tolling, traffic information and control technologies can help alleviate and manage traffic congestion and reduce journey times.

Speaking today, Minister Kelly said: “I congratulate the bidders ITS Ireland, who, with the assistance of my Department, the Dublin Convention Centre, Dublin City Council and many others were successful in beating off strong competition from several other European cities to host this conference. I can assure ERTICO and the event organisers, ITS Ireland, of my Department’s full co-operation in helping to make the ERTICO European Congress in Dublin in 2013, one of the most successful European Congresses ever on ITS. This event will be part of the Irish Presidency programme in 2013 and my Department will continue to play its role as a public authority partner in ERTICO. I will also suggest that the European Commission host its annual ITS conference in Dublin in 2013 to coincide with this event, as is currently the case this week with the existing Congress in Lyon, France. In these times of austerity and given Ireland’s extensive links with North America, this event can showcase innovation in European transport to the world.”