The role of ITS and Other Advanced Communication Technologies in Reducing the Transport Impacts of Disasters

This ethically approved, novel study emphasizes an important aspect of Information and communication flow (ICF) that underpins the transport systems’ activities under disasters (e.g. search, rescue, relief operations and emergency related travel activities). Multi perspectives of ICF, based on numerous ICT and ITS technologies, are investigated in detail by employing various analysis techniques and methods. Two scenarios were developed for three case studies from developed and developing countries (one in UK and two in Pakistan). The effectiveness and choice making process regarding use of ITS technologies by the transport-disaster managers (scenario1) and people affected (scenario 2) were investigated for three phases (pre, during, post) of two different disasters (floods and earthquakes). Participants for both scenarios were recruited and data collected and analysed using different data collection and analysis methods. The study contributes a new data collection and analysis technique named as the Q-Likert methodology, which was developed and used to identify those factors (relating to ITS deployment plans, policies, ICF within and among other authorities and availability of resources, expertise and liberty to practice) that limit the scope of ITS technologies during disasters. An evaluation of the effectiveness of each ITS technology under both scenarios and for three phases of disasters is reported. A range of variables (e.g. personal characteristics of people, prevailing situations and facilities) and their influence on the use of ITS technologies was tested. Many aspects relating to transport-disaster affected communities are revealed. The results are fused and validated through data fusion technique to get maximum information regarding the multidimensional issues of transport-disasters ICF. Based on the evidence found, an integrated framework is proposed covering ITS technologies, transport and disasters systems. The framework focuses on the provision of an un-interrupted ICF along with cooperation, coordination and exchange of information and resources between all stakeholders.