Host of the National electronic Tolling Committee (NeTC) Forum 2017, ITS Australia, has confirmed an impressive lineup of national and international speakers at the premier road tolling event in the Asia-Pacific region, which is taking place in Sydney, on May 23-25.
The two-day annual NeTC Forum, themed ‘Converging Smarter Tolling Technologies’, will feature more than 40 Australian and international speakers. ITS Australia has developed the program for the event, now into its 13th year, to provide industry with a platform to discuss and share transport technology solutions for the benefit of business and customers. NeTC speakers will include government, industry and academia, and cover a range of subject areas including road user charging reform, consumer approaches, local and international projects and smart cities.
NeTC is more than just a road tolling forum, as it also provides governments, business and academia with a platform to discuss industry specifics, as well as wider intelligent transport systems (ITS) opportunities. Delegates also attend networking functions and technical tours to key infrastructure centers, including Sydney’s Transport Management Center, and the WestConnex new M5 Display Center and M5 South-West Motorway New Control Room.
ITS Australia has confirmed that the New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey, will make an official address at this year’s event. Commenting on her participation at NeTC, Pavey said, “Well managed and efficient road transport infrastructure is crucial to business and the liveability of cities, regional and rural communities. Smarter ways of moving people and freight will reduce risks on the roads, ease congestion, and positively impact the economy. I am looking forward to meeting members of the local, national and international road tolling and transport technology industry, to share information and explore collaborative initiatives to support enhanced mobility.”
Philip Davies, chief executive of Infrastructure Australia, noted, “Overhauling how we fund our road networks is one of the biggest opportunities for infrastructure reform in Australia. As we argued in the 15-year Australian Infrastructure Plan, introducing a fairer, user-pays system of road charging can deliver secure, sustainable funding for our roads, and better services for users. With the Federal Government now committed to a public inquiry on the potential benefits of road market reform, this year’s NeTC Forum is an opportunity to have a frank discussion on how this important reform can be implemented in practice, including the challenge of how we bring the community with us on the journey to a fairer system.”
