Keynote Speech by Mr. Zhang Zhuting at the Advanced Technology Sub-session

 

1. China’s Intelligent Transportation Development

 

In recent years, China has pressed ahead with “three promotions” program of developing intelligent transportation. The first is promoting deep integration of big data, the Internet, artificial intelligence, blockchain, supercomputing, and other new technologies into the transportation industry; the second is promoting data resources to advance transport development and to accelerate “integrated development of four networks”, more specifically, the integrated development of the transportation infrastructure network, transportation services network, energy network, and information network; the third is promoting public services and e-government. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development plan for intelligent transportation had been released. Some elements have been completed, and others are still in the research phase. In the fight against the pandemic, transportation projects that have been implemented have played a significant role, and related research has been greatly expedited. The development of intelligent transportation includes the following aspects:

 

First is the infrastructure in intelligent transportation. “Smart roads” are infrastructure in intelligent transportation. Their requirements include: the digitization of transportation infrastructure planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation and management, and other related elements has commenced; a traffic geographic information platform with high precision has covered the entire country, where traffic engineering and other elements of information are improved, physical facilities are presented in a three-dimensional way, and professional navigation aids such as automatic driving and transporting out-sized cargo are operational under all-weather conditions; the monitoring of life cycle performance of major transportation infrastructure projects and the engineering quality control technology based on the Internet of Things has been applied.

 

Second is the perception network of intelligent transportation. The traffic perception network should cover key routes and sections of railways, highways, and waterways, as well as important nodes such as tunnels, bridges, interchanges, and locks. We should synchronize the planning and construction of traffic perception network and traffic infrastructure, apply the intelligent roadside terminals such as Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) gantries of highway more widely, and establish a cloud-based interconnected perception network, so that the legacy “dumb facilities” can monitor in multi-dimensions, connect to the Internet intelligently, control and manage actions precisely and coordinate services. Attention should also be paid to the integration of social data such as crowd-sourcing and mobile phone signaling. A cloud platform for a traffic control network that connects means of transportation, infrastructure, and traffic environment needs to be built. We also should accelerate the application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the fields of free-flow tolling, automatic driving, vehicle-road coordination, maritime search and rescue, automated port operations, and distribution and dispatching.

 

Third is the traffic carrying tools and operational equipment in intelligent transportation. “Smart cars” are the carriers of intelligent transportation, which are terminal applications required to be equipped with multi-dimensional sensing, high-precision positioning, and intelligent network connection functions. Their abilities are improving the remote monitoring, fault diagnosis, risk warning, and optimized control of carriers. Automated driving and vehicle-road coordination technologies are being researched and developed in a coordinated way, and special test sites are being constructed. Technologies such as the Internet of Things and automated driving are encouraged to be used widely in logistics parks, ports, railways, and airport freight stations. We should also promote the automated three-dimensional warehouses, a large-scale application of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and the intelligent transport sorting, loading and unloading equipment. Self-driving ships, automated terminals and yards are expected to further develop, and information sharing and business collaboration between ports, shipping logistics and upstream/downstream enterprises are to be strengthened.

 

Fourth is the network transmission system for intelligent transportation. Through the integrated development of transport and information infrastructure, we are able to promote a deep integration of transportation networks, “sky network” and “public network”. In this way, the arrangement of vehicle network, 5G, satellite communication information network, and national highway communication information network is forming a multi-network of traffic information and communication, providing the network communication services with wide coverage, low latency, high reliability, and large bandwidth.

 

Fifth is the intelligent travel system in intelligent transportation. Through the sharing of various types of information such as transportation and tourism, integrated development can be achieved. We should encourage platform-based enterprises to deepen the multi-source data coordination, integrating online and offline resources. With full and open access to the ticket systems of all kinds of transportation, and the creation of digital travel assistants, we can provide “door-to-door” travel customization services for passengers. The concept of “travel as a service” is encouraged. We can use data to connect travel demands with service resources, making travelling an on-demand, instant and simpler service. With the “intelligent mobile space”, where travelers can manage business affairs, buy things they want, and have leisure activities, a brand-new travel experience is provided to them. With promoting the “Internet plus” convenient transportation, the new urban travel service modes such as customized public transportation, intelligent parking, intelligent public transportation, auto repair, reservation for taxis, renting bicycles and renting micro-buses are encouraged and regulated.

 

Sixth is the logistics and transportation system in intelligent transportation. The State Council is vigorously developing “Internet plus” efficient new logistics and business models, accelerating the digitization of the entire logistics process, promoting the mutual recognition of freight transport documents by railways, highways, and waterways, and providing a “one-stop shop” that can be monitored and traced throughout the entire process. We should encourage all kinds of enterprises to speed up the differentiated development of logistics information platforms, promote information sharing across the entire chain of urban logistics distribution, and improve the information network of rural logistics terminals. Relying on various information platforms, we will strengthen the mutual recognition of logistics-related management information of various departments, and build an open sharing mechanism of comprehensive transportation and logistics data resources.

 

Seventh is “Internet plus government services” in intelligent transportation. The integrated national transport information platform will be improved to enhance the application of big data in such areas as decision-making support, safety and emergency response, command and dispatch, supervision and law enforcement, government services, energy conservation and environmental protection, so as to achieve greater accuracy in analysis, control, management and service. We will improve the resource directory and information resource management system, achieve the integration of industrial information resources, and enhance the ability of information resource sharing and open service. Also, we plan to establish a big data-supported decision-making and planning system, promote multi-source data coordination between departments and between government and enterprises, and improve transportation decision-making and analysis. Presented with data in panorama, we plan to enhance the supporting capability of integrated transport operation monitoring and early warning, public opinion monitoring, safety risk analysis and judgment, dispatching and command, energy conservation and environmental protection, online monitoring and others. Further by promoting “Internet plus government services” in the field of transportation, we aim to achieve the same service, the same standard and the same code of government services. More administrative services will be provided online, and the administrative services will be extended to the “two micro ends”. Also, we will optimize transportation, road administration, maritime and other government information system, speed up the development of comprehensive transportation law enforcement, super networking and other systems, improve the intelligence of law enforcement equipment, and promote online identification and off-site law enforcement.

 

2. Practice of Intelligent Transportation in the Fight against the Pandemic

 

The pandemic has brought a huge test and challenge to transportation. Transportation not only concerns with containing the spread of the virus, but is necessary for people to travel, for social order to be maintained in production and life, for critical workers such as medical personnel to work, and for people’s daily life supplies to be continued during the epidemic prevention and control period. The requirements for transportation during the fight against the pandemic are:

 

“One Block and Three Constants”: resolutely blocking the virus transmission channels, and ensuring that the road transport network, the green channel for emergency transport, and the necessary transport channels for people’s basic living necessities are uninterrupted.

 

“Three Nos and One Priority”: implementing the policy of providing green channels for epidemic prevention emergency transport vehicles; ensuring that epidemic prevention emergency supplies and personnel transport vehicles are not stopped, checked, or charged and allowed to pass first; ensuring that transport ships have priority of pilotage, anchoring, berthing, and have the most convenient access; and guaranteeing smooth delivery of the “last kilometer” for express mail.

 

Open the “main artery” and smooth “micro-circulation”: On February 21, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee meeting announced to bring work and production back to normal in an orderly way with traffic being a priority. So, it was imperative to ensure smooth traffic and road network. Opening the “main artery” and smoothing “micro-circulation” thus became critical. The opening of the “main artery” means an orderly organization of customized and shuttle transport for workers returning to work across different regions, removing movement obstacles, and ensuring that the prevention measures, goods and personnel are in place for enterprises that have returned to normal or that are ready for it; smooth “micro-circulation” refers to a steady and orderly restoration of urban public transportation, a coordinated scheduling of bus and taxi capacity, the development of “point to point” services, logistics and distribution vehicles into the city and parking according to needs, maximizing the needs for urban logistics and making sure that the “first kilometer” and “last kilometer” are connected unimpeded.

 

During the National Commendation Ceremony for Fighting the Epidemic on September 8, a courier was commended for his efforts. Once he was notified that he could return to work on February 19, 2020, he led a team of volunteer drivers, voluntarily picking up hospital medical staff to and from work, helping online car companies to pick up medical staff, and bicycle-sharing companies to place bicycles around hospitals from the Spring Festival Eve. He also raised funds for medical staff to purchase food, and then found restaurants to secure supplies of food, quickly building up a back-up network for the free distribution of food. In recognition of his outstanding performance during the pandemic, he was promoted from a courier to a department manager. What he engaged in was a “microcirculation” of transportation in the anti-pandemic operation, while other honored representatives in the fields of road transportation, air transportation, and waterway transportation represented the “main artery” of logistics.

 

While we pay tribute to these intrepid heroes, we should also focus on the supporting role of intelligent transportation. Overall, the network freight operators and express delivery enterprises in the fight against the pandemic directly combined the supply and the demand through people, vehicles (including boats), and other intangible ways. Drones, unmanned boats, and unmanned vehicles can achieve contactless freight and urban delivery; online rental cars, rental bicycles, and car renters all combined in the fight against the pandemic to ensure the demand for vehicles was supplied. The online administrative examination and approval of bulk transport became “one place to accept, link examination and approval, process full line passage, ensuring full service”, which not only greatly reduced human contact, but also cut the cost of enterprises and government affairs. The administrative services “as a network” in the national integrated transport security command information system represent the outstanding performance of intelligent transportation in the fight against the pandemic. I believe that intelligent transportation will be used more widely and will contribute more to human society in the future.