Commonwealth Government Releases Principles for a National Approach to Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in Australia

CCAT welcomes the news that the Principles for a National Approach to Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in Australia have been endorsed by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers from all states and territories.

C-ITS is described by Ministers as “interconnected technologies that allow road vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, their drivers, road infrastructure and data services, and with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.”

The endorsement of nationally endorsed principles is an important step forward in Australia’s political commitment to a harmonised environment for transport connectivity on our roads.

In ‘Transport in transition: Preparing for a connected, automated and sustainable future’, CCAT outlined a range of learnings from our International Outreach to Europe in 2023 . C-ITS is highlighted as a strategic priority for markets who are ahead of the curve in their preparations for a safe and productive future transport system. For example, in Germany where consistent national C-ITS infrastructure has been facilitated by the centralisation of motorway network management, a 10-year C-ITS rollout plan is already being implemented to deliver a safe and reliable road system that enables automation and electrification.

CCAT supports the Australian C-ITS principles, and commends governments for their collaboration to achieve this agreement. More information on the C-ITS principles can be found here.

The following principles for a national approach to C-ITS in Australia have been endorsed by infrastructure and transport ministers, and are intended to help enable governments and industry1 to move forward with no-regrets investment and planning.

1. Australian governments will work together, and with industry, towards a nationally consistent C-ITS environment, including standards and a base set of use cases, with the aim of supporting a seamless experience for road users and confidence for industry to invest.
2. Cooperation is key and this work should be agreed by governments in consultation with industry, and include participation by community and researchers. Governments and industry have a shared role in engaging the broader community to ensure C-ITS addresses their needs and fosters consumer value and trust.
3. Maximising the benefits of C-ITS requires an environment where:
   1. All C-ITS enabled vehicles can communicate relevant information with each other, as well as with C-ITS enabled equipment2 and infrastructure, irrespective of make/model;
   2. Information is able to be securely transmitted to all C-ITS enabled vehicles, equipment and infrastructure from trusted sources;
4. Information can be transmitted and received, and communicated to drivers, in a way that is safe, timely, accurate, reliable, non-distracting, and meets the needs of the relevant use case(s); and
   1. All road network agencies can collect and share data necessary to support agreed C-ITS use cases across Australian jurisdictions.
5. Australia should look to harmonise with international approaches, including in relation to spectrum for C-ITS use, while taking into account already deployed use cases and ensuring flexibility for future technology transitions and upgrades; there are benefits in looking to align with European approaches to C-ITS where possible, taking into account emerging consensus and directions of vehicle manufacturers.
6. The focus for C-ITS planning, uptake and investment in Australia should be on:
   1. Its capability to improve road safety, transport efficiency and productivity, environmental and financial sustainability, emissions reduction and equity outcomes;
   2. Where practicable, leveraging and integrating with existing physical and digital infrastructure, and existing vehicle systems and consumer devices, and
   3. Supporting the development of new transport technologies including vehicles with higher levels of automation.
7. Given the cybersecurity and privacy issues in sharing road and vehicle data, Australia must ensure it has effective and timely solutions to managing the security of systems and messaging and privacy of data in C-ITS, to ensure a trusted transport environment.