Smarter Transportation
ICT-Enabled energy efficiency in the transportation sector.
Clever use of ICT reduced Stockholm's traffic by 25 %, resulting in cleaner air and fewer eimissions (Photo: Istockphoto)
Smart transportation by the use of ICT is transportation that is made more effective and or reduced, thanks to the use of ICT.
Traffic congestion charge
In Stockholm, the traffic was reduced by 25 per cent thanks to the use of a charging system that identifies and charges vehicles. The tax imposed depends on the time of day and the cost is at its highest in rush hour traffic.
As part of the free-flow roadside plan, 18 roadside control points located at Stockholm city entrances and exits identify and charge vehicles depending on the time of the day. The tax per passage was SEK 10, 15 or 20 (about $1.50 to $3.00) depending on the time of day. The highest amount charged was during rush hours, from 7:30 to 8:29 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:29 p.m. The maximum amount per vehicle and day was SEK 60, or about $8.50. The charging system was developed in cooperation with IBM. Find out more about how it works.
Sweco Position optimised the deliveries of the two largest tabloids in Sweden saving 50 000 kg in CO2 emissions (Photo: Moonhouse / CC)
Route planning and cooperation
Swedish GIS consulting engineering company Sweco Position made a route planning system to minimize the transporting costs, and to keep the time schedule, for distributing the two major evening papers in Sweden. After one and a half years in operation the result was a 24 per cent reduction in the number of vehicles in the distribution process. At the same time, the newspapers could be delivered to the stores as early as before. Measured in carbon dioxide emissions, this is equal to a realised decrease of around 50,000 kg. A test was made in a smaller scale in the city of Sundsvall. This resulted in a 10 % reduction in transport time, and the number of vehicles was reduced from four to three.
Route optimizing
In the municipality of Linköping (population 140 000) they adjusted the schools’ time schedules to make more effective use of transportation. Through changing the schedules of school buses and other related transports the peaks could be "planned away". An investment of 3 million Swedish crowns resulted in saving 7-8 million crowns.
