Digitization is intervening in many of our areas of life and creating new opportunities, including the mobility of tomorrow. Minister of Transport Dr. Brigitta Pallauf convinced herself on the topics of real-time traffic data and self-driving minibus of the forward-looking research work of the Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft.

Efficient, environmentally friendly and affordable mobility is a ubiquitous challenge of our time. Salzburg Research is researching digital technologies to improve the mobility system. “Digitalisation offers us the opportunity to use the existing transport infrastructure more efficiently or to try out completely new ways of mobility. This includes both an objective view of the traffic situation and its future development as well as the expansion of public transport services by automated vehicles”, says Minister of Transport Dr. Brigitta Pallauf.

Real-Time Traffic Information is Looking for Volunteers

With data from moving vehicles (Floating Car Data FCD), congestion or even delays after accidents can be recorded in real time and measures for traffic control initiated or objectively evaluated. Salzburg residents can call up this data live at srfg.at/verkehrslage and plan their trips with pinpoint accuracy. The anonymous data is provided by volunteers – both businesses and individuals. Numerous Salzburg companies are already present with their fleet data. Private individuals can report delays using the StauFux app.

Together with Salzburg Research, the state of Salzburg is looking for companies that provide their fleet data for financial support. Further information is available on the Website of the State of Salzburg.

Autonomous Vehicles as an Opportunity for Public Transport

As of May 2018, a self-driving minibus will once again be on the road in Koppl Municipality. “Self-driving minibuses could be used in local public transport as a means of transporting intermodal mobility nodes or developing town centers. This would make existing public transport complementary and attractive”, says minister of transport Dr. Brigitta Pallauf.

A self-driving minibus tested in mixed traffic in 2017 by Salzburg Research over seven months brought the limits and challenges of self-driving vehicles to light. The follow-up project Digibus Austria is about to start: A top-class consortium led by Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft will research and test the reliable and safe operation of automated shuttles over the next three years. The project is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency and the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology. Details at: https://www.digibus-austria.at