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Russia ready to host ITS World Congress in 2018

Deputy Transport Minister Alexei Tsydenov took part in the 19th ITS World Congress in Vienna, making a presentation of Russia’s global navigation satellite system Glonass

VIENNA, October 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia is ready to host the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS) in 2018, Deputy Transport Minister Alexei Tsydenov told Itar-Tass.

He took part in the 19th ITS World Congress in Vienna, Austria, making a presentation on opportunities of Russia’s global navigation satellite system Glonass.

“We have not yet filed an official application for hosting the congress, but today we announced our intention and readiness to host this forum in 2018,” he said.

“Having completed a Glonass satellite group in a near-Earth orbit we started introducing its ground segment,” he said. “Thus, as of January 1 Russia will start using a control system of passenger traffic and the shipping of dangerous cargo, which, for instance, will allow to monitor strict compliance of vessels and vehicles with the fixed routes and speed rules.”

Tsydenov emphasized that it is difficult to overestimate opportunities of the navigation satellite system in managing traffic flows and ensuring security. In particular, Glonass helps planes to land in conditions of low visibility, coordinate routes of sea and river vessels and regulate the traffic of public transport. It can be helpful for ordinary motorists. Russia developed a safety system on the basis of Glonass that in case of a road accident or a roadside emergency gives a signal with accurate coordinates and ensures voice communication with a traffic controller.

“Now Glonass receivers can be bought and installed independently,” the deputy minister said. “Beginning from 2015 all new motor vehicles, including foreign cars, will roll off an assembly line with such receivers. By 2017 all cars should be equipped with such receivers.”

“However, the sphere of the Glonass system’s practical use is not restricted only by transport. It is much wider. Special sensing systems can monitor, for instance, bridges, difficult sections of railways or other infrastructure facilities. A local station allows to determine a millimeter shift in position, if some dangerous shifts occur, they will be registered immediately,” he said.

“The state of slopes subjected to avalanches and rockfall can be also monitored. Sensing systems will also strongly help to design new highways and railways. Terrestrial laser scanning with accurate navigation components will help to get a georeferenced map, define earthwork operations and make other necessary calculations,” Tsydenov said.

Speaking about other short-term priorities the deputy minister noted that along with the development of modern technologies it is necessary to ensure their unification.

“We need our protocols of information exchange to work in other countries and our motor vehicles with our terminal when in Europe to log on Europe’s automatic road traffic safety system that is being created,” he said.

The 19th ITS World Congress that opened on Monday in Vienna brought together around 7,000 delegates practically from all over the world to discuss introduction of the innovative systems to improve mobility and road traffic.