An Interview with Professor Emeritus Dr Ljubo Vlačić, Editor-in-Chief, Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, Australia
The European Union’s approach to transport has social merit Professor Vlačić, born in Sarajevo, currently with an Australian address, on the occasion of the European Mobility Day speaks about tran...
The European Union’s approach to transport has social merit
Professor Vlačić, born in Sarajevo, currently with an Australian address, on the occasion of the European Mobility Day speaks about transport mobility, creating innovative solutions that will respond to today’s transportation challenges.
Professor Vlačić, European Mobility Week just concluded. Could you please reflect on the economic, and environmental importance of the transport mobility?
The concept of an automobile was invented almost a quarter of a millennium ago. Then, no one imagined that our contemporary societies would now be facing major transport challenges through increasing traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions. Stop-start congested traffic increases fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) contributing to transport being one of the world’s fastest growing GHG sector.
Many governments across the globe responded by providing incentives to transport technology designers to partner with transport policy-makers & regulators towards undertaking research, design, development and trials of innovative transport system solutions.
However, they soon realised that no advancement would be achieved without engaging transport participants (pedestrians and bikes/cars/train/trucks drivers). Thus, the European Union’s Mobility initiative appears as a ground-breaking step forward, and is seen as a mean of the social innovation encompassing strong public demands for people’s increased mobility.
Does it mean that the transport mobility has a social role as well?
Yes, that is correct, and that is why the European Union’s approach to transport has social merit. Namely, to stay independent people need to stay mobile and need equality in accessing service. If you have lost mobility either on a temporary or long-term basis you will have difficulty in fulfilling and meeting your personal, business and social needs. Thus, increased mobility becomes the compelling societal challenge.
Nurturing the engagement of individuals in utilising different transport modes through environmentally-friendly transport solutions leads to transformative and pervasive personal mobility improvements – and that is what the European Union’s Mobility initiative is aiming to achieve. It is a re innovation aimed at engaging citizens, town and village residents in solving day-to-day mobility difficulties.
You are in Australia since 1991 and you spent last years of your professional career at highly ranked Griffith University. Has the transport mobility concept attracted interests among your students?
It is very pleasing to note a great interest among high school and tertiary students in getting actively engaged with ITS mobility concept and ideas. I am the Editor-in-Chief of the USA-based periodical, IEEE –Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine (http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/mostRecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5117645). In 2018 we will be conducting a world-wide ITS competition aimed at inviting students to submit their essays on the topic “My Vision of the Future Transportation Systems” and to share with us their visions on the future transportation systems, how they may look like and operate.
Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and your time spent towards elaborating on the European Union Mobility initiative.
It is my pleasure.
