Intelligent transport systems (ITS)
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) use digital and communications technologies to help manage transport systems. For example, roadside devices connect to traffic management centres to collect and share information about road conditions, which can help road managers and road users make better decisions. Common ITS tools include dynamic speed zones, active lane management, ramp metering and e‑tolling.
Australia has used ITS for decades, and Australian companies are considered leaders in ITS development. For example, the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS), developed by the NSW government, manages traffic using adaptive traffic signal changes.
Co-operative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS)
Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) is an evolution of ITS. It lets vehicles, roadside equipment and nearby road users (like pedestrians and cyclists) ‘talk’ to each other, and to central cloud systems run by road managers or vehicle manufacturers.
C‑ITS collects information and sends real‑time messages about the road environment to support driver decision‑making. Over time, C-ITS is intended to inform automated driving systems. Examples of C-ITS include warnings about hazards that are out of sight, such as around a bend or over a hill, potential collisions at intersections and, in the future, automated vehicles sharing information to cooperatively manage driving tasks such as lane merging, overtaking, and parking.
How C-ITS communicates
C-ITS is sometimes described as Vehicle‑to‑Everything (V2X), meaning the system can connect a vehicle to many parts of the road environment. Types of V2X include:
- Vehicle ‑ to ‑ Vehicle (V2V) – cars can warn each other about things like sudden braking or a possible crash ahead.
- Vehicle ‑ to ‑ Infrastructure (V2I) – a vehicle can send and receive information to/from traffic lights or roadside units, such as warnings the driver is about to violate a red light signal, or about the presence of vulnerable road users (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists) or other approaching vehicles that are beyond human line of sight.
- Vehicle ‑ to ‑ Network (V2N) – the vehicle can connect to central cloud systems (often by mobile networks) to receive wider‑area alerts, such as traffic jams, roadworks or severe weather.
- Vehicle ‑ to ‑ Pedestrian/Cyclist (V2P) – the system connects vehicles with vulnerable road users to share information regarding the potential for collisions or to communicate intentions.
C‑ITS relies on wireless communication technologies – direct short-range communications technology (generally for V2V and V2I), and long-range communication over cellular mobile networks (generally for V2N).
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has made rules that allow C‑ITS devices to use the 5.9 GHz radiofrequency spectrum band for short-range communication.
Learn more on the ACMA website: Intelligent transport systems class licence
Australia’s approach to C-ITS
Australia is working towards a nationally harmonised approach to deploying C-ITS. The department leads strategic policy development and coordination across governments, and engages with industry and research partners. Australian governments developed the Principles for a National Approach to C‑ITS in Australia, which were endorsed by infrastructure and transport ministers in 2023. The principles are intended to help enable governments and industry to move forward with no-regrets investment and planning for C-ITS.
The department is also progressing national priority actions under the 2024–27 National Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Action Plan and the National Road Transport Technology Strategy. This includes working with states and territories to develop a national C‑ITS roadmap (action 2.1) to support the rollout of C-ITS in Australia.
Alongside nationally coordinated activities, states and territories are also building practical experience through their own programs. For example:
- Western Australia (WA) has released Our Roadmap to enabling C‑ITS in Western Australia 2024–2028, which sets out a vision for a harmonised C‑ITS ecosystem across the WA road network and focuses on preparing infrastructure, running proofs‑of‑concept and aligning with national directions.
- Queensland’s Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI) included the large‑scale Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot. This project aimed to understand safety impacts, public perceptions and infrastructure needs, and support national readiness for C‑ITS.
- New South Wales and Victoria have conducted targeted trials and/or developed testbeds which help build the evidence base needed for future deployment. This includes NSW’s Cooperative Intelligent Transport Initiative (CITI) and the Australian Integrated Multimodal Ecosystem (AIMES) testbed in Melbourne, Victoria.
In addition to these initiatives, Australian governments have undertaken a range of research projects and trials on C-ITS and related technologies. Visit our research and trials webpage for further information.