Cash for iMove CRC a positive step, according to Isuzu Australia executive
Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) director and chief operating officer Phil Taylor has backed a 10-year, $55 million grant to the iMove Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) to help develop intelligent transport systems (ITS).
Taylor praised the federal government’s “foresight in investing in the future of Australia’s road network”, saying the decision to award is an “excellent step towards a smarter, more efficient national transport approach.
The positive response echoes an earlier thumbs-up from the Australian Logistics Council (ALC).
The funding will help iMove CRC further its work in utilising cutting-edge vehicle technologies to smooth traffic flows and investigate systems that allow for the efficient transport of goods.
This includes reduced congestion, fuel use and emissions and improved national productivity and competitiveness.
Taylor says the research will be beneficial for every road user and the freight transport industry specifically.
“As manufacturers strive to develop vehicles that operate more efficiently, and have less of an impact on the environment, this decision reaffirms that the Government is working towards the same goal,” he adds.
“This substantial grant proves that the Australian government is serious about tackling the growing national freight task, and that they are committed to making this expansion as smooth as possible.”
In its application for the grant, iMove CRC said the progressive deployment of ITS technology will drive higher levels of productivity within the Australian transport system.
Its research will aim to enhance users’ travel experiences with richer, real-time data, and more predictive analysis.
“As a country we will fall behind if we cannot move our people and goods effectively and efficiently,” iMove CRC bid lead Ian Christensen says.
“Our roads are congested and our transport systems are not co-ordinated and it’s getting worse in many cases.
“The establishment of the iMove CRC gives us an immediate opportunity to tackle this situation, by harnessing the power of ‘big data’, developing smarter solutions and engaging with the community to trial and deploy new technologies.”
Bid chair and ALC chair Ian Murray points out threre are huge savings to be gained.
“As a country, we lose around $16.5 billion a year because of congestion,” Murray says.
“When you also factor in the human and financial losses due to accidents, we are looking at a phenomenal social and economic cost.
“We will now have the technology and smarts available to significantly alleviate these problems.”