The social system is achieving a great reformation toward establishment of an advanced information and telecommunications society. ITS is expected both nationwide and worldwide to be the most effective measure for solving serious road traffic problems, as a source of generating a new industries, and as a leader of the advanced information and telecommunications society. Thus, the concerned parties must cooperate with each other to work for active promotion of ITS.

The entire concept of ITS outlined in this document is compiled as a long-term vision of the basic concept of user services, development plans and deployment targets related to ITS promotion, to indicate the basic idea concerning ITS promotion by Japan. This description is expected to be identified as recognizing the concerned parties for systematic and efficient ITS promotion. This entire concept is described by three components:

- First, 20 user services were specified according to nine ITS development areas described in "Policy for Information Networking Implementation in Road, Transport and Vehicle Fields" based on the ITS users and their needs;

- Second, development and deployment targets including the ITS introduction period were determined according to the respective development areas;

- Third, basic measures for ITS realization were set out, concerning establishment of the promotion system, promotion of research and development, implementation of a social acceptance environment, supply of infrastructure, and pursuit of cooperative international relations.

To implement ITS promotion, it is especially important for the concerned parties to cooperate with each other as one body toward realization of the surely improved living conditions in the 21st century based on the following points described in the previous chapters:

- First, since ITS plays an important role as the most effective measure for solving serious road traffic problems, it is also identified as a method of "information networking in the public sector" in the advanced information and telecommunications society. Thus, it is important to accord priority to the cooperation between the ITS and other fields in the advanced information and telecommunications society, to implement ITS with interoperability and connectivity with areas harmonized with ITS.

- Second, it is necessary that the concerned parties recognize their own roles and promote ITS under the common recognition of user needs and introduction period based on the convenience of ITS to users and the improvement of the efficiency of the entire social system.

- Third, since ITS is a project that must be dealt with on a worldwide scale, it is important to perform information exchanges to further technology development and cooperative international relations for standardization.

- Fourth, it is important for ITS development and deployment to solve problems related to the social acceptance environment as well as promoting technology development.

Activities concerning ITS promotion should flexibly respond in accordance with changes in the social and economic environment and progress with technology developments. The entire ITS concept should also be reviewed as necessary in accordance with any changes in the circumstances related to ITS promotion.

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