The research and planning arm of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, IOT seeks to apply technology to problems of traffic and transport.

BY PETER CHEN

A Taipei resident plans to drive to Kenting for the weekend, but just before heading out the door, he sees on his GPS device that the freeways are clogged with major congestion. Instead of taking his car, he opts to ride the High Speed Rail to Kaohsiung and then transfer to a bus. 

A backpacker from Europe, visiting Taiwan for the first time, is planning a round-the-island trip in a week’s time but is unfamiliar with the public transportation system. A few clicks on the computer later, she is all set to go. 

An office worker is getting ready to attend an important presentation. Consulting his PDA, he finds that his usual bus is running late and grabs a taxi to be on time. 

Are these three scenarios feasible? Absolutely, says Jennifer Yuh-Jen Wu, Deputy Director-General of the Institute of Transportation (IOT), which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC). Using IOT’s e-Traffic and e-Trans programs, it is already possible for travelers or commuters to plan ahead or find the speediest way to complete their trip.

Initiated in 2004, the e-Traffic project now covers all major Taiwanese cities, providing real-time information online about traffic flows on a continuous basis. The IOT receives and coordinates traffic and accident information for roads, highways and freeways from the Police Broadcasting Network and local traffic control centers. The public web-based broadcast is available in multiple formats through the website http://e-traffic.iot.gov.tw, which also can be accessed by the portal http://e-iot.iot.gov.tw.

E-Trans, the trip planning program, is an outgrowth of IOT’s goal to provide intelligent, computer-based service for all passengers. The system uses input from the various mass transportation entities, including the High Speed Rail (HSR), Taiwan Railway Administration, MRT, and bus companies, to help individuals reduce the total traveling time between any two points. The automated online program (e-Trans) allows travelers to plan their routes and transportation options by simply entering a few key inputs, such as departure date, time, and location, and desired destination. The computerized system then responds with suggestions about the best modes of transportation. This service encompasses travel within all regions of Taiwan and is available through the Internet, cell phone, PDA, and kiosk. The website is http://e-trans.iot.gov.tw – also reachable through the portal http://e-iot.iot.gov.tw .

These are just a few of the projects undertaken by IOT, as the research, planning, and strategy-making arm of the MOTC, to help Taiwan’s transportation infrastructure keep pace with the country’s economic development over the decades from agricultural society to manufacturing juggernaut to technology leader.

The IOT was created in 1985 through the merger of the Transportation Planning Board and the Institute of Traffic Research. Besides the secretariat, personnel office, and accounting office, the IOT consists of seven divisions: Planning, Engineering, Operations and Management, Safety, Information Systems, Interdisciplinary Research, and the Harbor and Marine Technology Center (which was brought under the Institute’s wings in 2001). 

The IOT’s missions include studying transportation policies and providing suggestions to the Ministry; coordinating the planning, evaluation, and project programming for transportation systems; designing transportation engineering systems; and collecting, compiling, and disseminating transportation data and models. The Institute employs a staff of 177 and operates on an annual budget of about NT$500 million (US$15 million), with technology R&D accounting for 37% of the total.    

Despite its relatively modest budget, IOT strives to make an impact as the primary government think tank for all things transportation. In the 1970s and 1980s, Taiwan’s transportation policies focused primarily on large-scale construction projects – including the first North-South Freeway, international airport, and Taichung Harbor – designed to stimulate economic growth and help exporters in shipping their goods efficiently. Within the past decade, however – through such projects as the High Speed Rail, national freeway #3, East-West highway #12, and the western coastal highway – the purely economic objectives have been supplemented by efforts to serve the personal convenience and enjoyment of individual citizens. The result has been to better connect all the metropolitan areas of Taiwan, including the eastern parts of the country that have typically lagged in economic development, and to facilitate recreational activity. 

Wu notes that IOT emphasizes the three overall goals of “sustainability, quality, and effectiveness.” Sustainability, she explains, means taking a “long-term view in policy analysis, taking social and environmental factors into consideration in addition to economic influences.” Quality involves “responding to the different needs of all demographics and geographic locations, and helping to raise the quality of life of the population,” she continues, while an effective transportation system adopts intelligent logistics planning and integrates the various networks of information to optimize the use of resources. 

Eye on aesthetics

Among the more noteworthy projects targeting sustainable development is the proposal to improve the transportation infrastructure of the eastern part of Taiwan while protecting its natural beauty. The IOT plan seeks to increase commuting efficiency to and from that region of the country in order to facilitate its economic, social, and transportation growth. “We want to make it easier for tourists to get to the region, but at the same time we need to make sure that we don’t harm the aesthetic value of the landscape.”

Another significant project is the Taxi Carpool program, in which the government would create special routes, traffic lanes, and pick-up points for taxi carpooling. The goal is to reduce congestions on the roads while providing convenience and cost-saving opportunities for passengers. A computerized reservation system would also be created for access via telephone or the Internet. Following studies of similar programs adopted around the world, the project is currently underway in the city of Taipei, and IOT hopes to share the experience with other municipalities.

As an example of how IOT applies advanced technology to strengthening Taiwan’s transportation capacity and commercial competitiveness, the Institute has made use of a Geographic Information System to compile a comprehensive database of traffic accidents and fatalities. In addition, it continues to look for new technology to further integrate and enhance the Mobile Taiwan (M-Taiwan) Plan, a government-led program to provide wireless Internet capability throughout Taiwan. 

Developed earlier in the decade and now being put into practice, the M-Taiwan plan seeks to provide easy public access to wireless communication via WiMAX, so as to make it easier and more efficient for private businesses to produce, sell, and transport their products. The end result should be to enhance Taiwan’s competitiveness in the international market. As of July this year, WiMAX access was available in Kao-hsiung City but capabilities had not yet been fully rolled out across the country. 

Looking ahead, Wu notes several challenges. One is that transportation systems will need to support the shift underway in the Taiwan economy towards emphasis on the service sector and the adoption of greater advanced technology for management and manufacturing. Another is that as a developed nation, Taiwan will need to take non-economic factors such as environmental protection, public safety, energy conservation, individual rights, and living standards into greater consideration in developing its transportation policies.     

An additional challenge for IOT is the need to carry out cross-jurisdictional coordination in developing, implementing, and overseeing transportation systems. For example, a national traffic monitoring system requires input from city and county governments that have varying levels of technological expertise, trained personnel, and regulations in place. In addition, with national highways and local roads governed by different authorities, there is a need for constant and effective communication to ensure smooth traffic flows. In this regard, IOT reports that it has made significant headway in promoting cooperation across jurisdictions and in providing technical assistance to local governments to keep them informed about the latest technological tools. 

In the continuous updating of technology, IOT looks at opportunities from both domestic and international sources, although sometimes the project size is too small to be financially attractive to foreign companies. But the Institute expects that opportunities for international vendors will be increasing as a result of Taiwan’s having acceded this July to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) under the World Trade Organization. 

As a GPA participant, Taiwan is obligated to make its laws, regulations, procedures, and practices regarding national-level government procurement more transparent and to ensure that there is no discrimination against foreign products or suppliers in large-scale procurement projects. IOT cites two current transportation-related projects that are available for foreign investment: the MOTC has put up for public bidding the contract for technical service for the Taoyuan International Airport Planning Proposal as well as the contract for zoning plans for the Taoyuan Airport Authority Corp.

IOT is preparing to adopt GPA procedures for its own procurement activity in the near future, although it notes that matters pertaining to research and planning are not covered by the agreement and thus so far are not open to foreign bidding.

The Institute also calls attention to a bill pending in the Legislative Yuan that would provide tax and leasing incentives to multinational corporations that establish operations centers in Taiwan. IOT believes that enactment would be a positive step in attracting greater foreign investment and international resources into Taiwan’s transportation field.