Strategic Service Selection Problem for Transport Telematic Services - An Optimization Approach

The selection, composition and integration of Transport Telematic Services (TTSs) is crucial for achieving cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). To enable future adaptation, models for selecting and composing TTSs needs to take into account possible future modifications, upgrades or downgrades of different TTSs without tipping off the benefit edge. To achieve this, a Strategic Service Selection Problem (SSSP) for TTSs is presented in this article. The problem involves selecting a set of TTSs that maximizes net societal benefits over a strategic time period, e.g., 10 years. The formulation of the problem offers possibilities to study design alternatives taking into account future modifications, extensions, upgrades or downgrades of different TTSs. Two decisive factors affecting the choices and modifications of TTSs are studied: 1) the effects of allowing market forces to drive the choices of TTSs, and 2) the effect of using Governmental policies to mandate the introduction of TTSs, e.g., Road User Charging and eCall. Case study results indicate that in determining combinations of TTSs that can be deployed in a period of 10 years, enforcing too many TTSs can retard the ability of the market to generate net benefits even though the results could be that more TTSs will be deployed.