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ERTICO eMagazine
The first HeERO International Conference:
Showcasing achievements and documenting challenges in the deployment of pan-European eCall
The Road to Rio
The World Cup and Olympic Games could help to revolutionise Brazil’s transport network
An extraordinary story; Bev Marks and his adventures
From the BBC to TISA, from RDS (Radio Data System) to TPEG (Transport Protocol Expert Group)
Welcome to the
In this Issue:
December 2012
contents Editorial
Merry Christmas from ERTICO!
Dear readers,
as you might have noticed, our
normal eMagazine look had been
suspended for two months to give
space to two special editions on the
19th ITS World Congress in Vienna.
After this incredibly successful event
(we reached the record number of
10,000 visitors) we are all back to
normal to say goodbye to 2012 with
a very exiting edition.
In this edition we talk about eCall.
Just a month ago the European
pilot project HeERO had its first
international conference in Zagreb,
hosted by the Croatian National
Protection and Rescue Directorate
(NPRD). In the article we look
at the progresses of the pan-
European emergency call, including
standardisation and certification,
and the plans for the New Year.
But what kind Christmas would it
be without one of our articles on
international cooperation? This
month we focus on Brazil, a huge
country with a fast expanding
economy which will host not only the
World Cup in 2014 but also the next
Olympic Games in 2016. We reflect
on the development of transport and
ITS in Brazil and consider how the
international cooperation with the
EU and the USA may develop in the
next few years.
Last but not least, this month we have
an unusual feature on Mr Bev Marks,
who is retiring as TISA Executive
Director. We believe that tributes
need to be paid to great people,
so we celebrate an extraordinary
person by summarising his - and
TISA’s - successes.
That’s it. This is our last edition for
this year and we look forward to
coming back next year with more
stories to tell. Meanwhile we wish
you a very happy Christmas holiday,
hoping that ITS will accompany you
in your journeys and will indicate the
right way to get home!
The Editorial Team
Editorial
The First HeERO International Conference
The Road to Rio
An extraordinary story: Bev Marks and his adventures
ERTICO Partnership events
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10
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The views and opinions expressed
in this magazine are solely those of
the authors and other contributors.
These views and opinions do not
necessarily represent those of
ERTICO or its Partners.
Visit the ERTICO website and count down to Christmas with our Advent Calendar!
www.ertico.com
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The goal of the conference was
to present the common efforts
made across the 9 HeERO pilot
sites (Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Romania and Sweden).
As one might expect with such a
large scale project there was much
to report on, including the results
of the first round of national and
interoperability eCall testing, the
evaluation and validation of standards
and specifications established for the
eCall service, and dissemination of
the results of the project.
Welcoming addresses
The event opened with addresses from
two high level speakers; Mr Jadran
Pernić, Director of the Croatian NPRD
and Ms Olga Sehnalová, Member of
the European Parliament and co-
rapporteur of the “eCall: a new 112
service for citizens” report.
Earlier in 2012, Ms Sehnalová and her
co-rapporteur MEP Dieter-Lebrecht
Koch finalised the eCall report with
support from both the Parliament’s
Committee on Transport and Tourism
and Committee on the Internal Market
and Consumer Protection. In July, a
non-binding resolution expressing
full support for the implementation
of eCall across Europe was approved
by an overwhelming majority in the
Parliament, demonstrating a clear
and strong will for pan-European
eCall to be fully implemented in
2015. The resolution calls on the
European Commission to table
legislation requiring EU Member
States to upgrade their emergency
response service infrastructure in
order to be able to handle eCalls.
In her welcoming address Ms
Sehnalová expressed her support for
the work done in the HeERO project
and praised the close cooperation
among all stakeholders involved,
before emphasising the importance
of the mandatory implementation of
the system for citizens across Europe
in 2015.
Mr Pernić hailed the hard work
of all participants in the Croatian
national consortium which has
ensured that Croatia is ready for
the implementation of eCall and
expressed thanks for the strong level
of interest in the Conference.
Pilot Test Results
Pilot site leaders were invited to
share the results of the first round
of testing which took place in 8 of
the 9 pilot sites, leading to many
positive initial results, and – equally
important – the identification of
barriers to deployment and issues to
be resolved.
The data gathered has been analysed
using the 28 HeERO Key Performance
The First HeERO International Conference: Showcasing achievements and documenting challenges in the deployment of pan-European eCall
by Laura Johnstone
Two years after the launch of the Harmonised eCall European Pilot, the first HeERO International Conference took
place in Zagreb on 15 November. Organised by the Croatian National Protection and Rescue Directorate (NPRD), in
cooperation with ERTICO – ITS Europe, the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), and Croatian pilot project
partners Hrvatski Autoklub and Ericsson Nikola Tesla, the conference attracted almost 200 participants from Europe
and around the world.
Indicators (KPIs). The KPIs include
the length of time for the call to
be established, the length of time
for the emergency response centre
to receive the minimum set of data
(MSD) from the vehicle (this includes
key information such as the location
of the vehicle, the number of
passengers, the force of any impact,
etc.), the success rate for the
establishment of voice transmissions
and the time taken and success rate
for the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) to be decoded.
Several pilot sites were able to test
thousands of eCalls, both manually
and automatically generated, and a
variety of different scenarios have
been tested both in laboratories
and on the roads in the real-life
environment.
Furthermore, eCall In-Vehicle
Systems (IVS) from a range of
suppliers have been used in tests,
and testing with real, live Public
Service Answering Points (PSAPs) has
taken place in several countries.
As a result of testing several technical
issues have been identified, which
must be resolved in time for the
implementation of the system in
2015. Care must also be taken to
ensure that standards developed
for the end-to-end eCall system are
appropriate and can be adhered to
by all parties.
However, the reports given at the
Conference show that technical
issues are not the main barrier
to eCall deployment. All of the
problems picked up in the first phase
of testing can and will be resolved by
the experts in the HeERO project and
other stakeholders.
Despite the steps undertaken by the
European Commission to make eCall
mandatory, and the work of HeERO
in proving the effectiveness and
reliability of the system, the largest
remaining barrier to implementation
remains at a political level. Although
22 of the 27 EU Member States have
signed the eCall Memorandum of
Understanding (in addition to Croatia,
Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and
Turkey) and work is ongoing to engage
the support of the remaining Member
States, the necessary PSAP upgrades
to support the system are in some
cases being delayed by decisions at
national level.
Of course this is not the case across
the board, but it is evident that a
lack of political will in some quarters
is slowing progress towards eCall
implementation. As eCall legislation
is introduced, Member States will
have to comply with the regulations;
stalling the implementation of the
system until then will be of no benefit
to citizens.
As a very recent example of
European Commission efforts, at
the end of November a delegated
act was adopted in order to address
specifications for PSAPs, and if
necessary the Commission will
present a proposal to ensure that
PSAPs are upgraded as necessary by
2015.
Cross-border interoperability testing
Another key area for testing during
2012 has focused on cross-border
interoperability testing. As eCall
will be a pan-European system, a
key feature is that the driver can
take his vehicle anywhere across
the continent and in the event of an
accident receive the same service as
in his home country.
Real environment tests have been
carried out using a Czech test vehicle
in Germany, in addition to tests
between Romania and Croatia and
Romania and Italy. In addition, all of
the current pilot sites welcome the
opportunity for further cross-border
testing in the coming year.
Those who attended the ITS World
Congress in Vienna this year can’t
fail to have noticed the presence
of eCall and HeERO at the event. At
the HeERO stand live demonstrations
took place throughout the week, and
the most exciting test was perhaps
an ad-hoc experiment which saw
the German test vehicle (a remote
controlled car in this case!) send
First International HeERO Conference in Zagreb, November 2012
an eCall to the Romanian PSAP in
Bucharest, the MSD of which could be
seen at the ITS Romania stand across
the exhibition hall. The success
of such a test, which was entirely
unplanned, demonstrates both the
technological viability of the system
and the importance of cooperation
between all stakeholders, to ensure
that all European drivers can benefit
from eCall, however far from
home they are.
C r o s s - b o r d e r
interoperability testing is
not confined to European
Member States. The Finnish
pilot site has been working in
cooperation with GLONASS
Union, the Russian non-
profit organisation tasked
with implementing the ERA
GLONASS system in Russia,
on testing interoperability
in between the two systems.
Along with ITS Russia and
GLONASS Union, ERTICO
has for the last two years
co-chaired the eCall/ERA
GLONASS Working Group,
which works towards the
alignment of ERA GLONASS
and eCall, in terms of
standards and technical
requirements, and also in terms of
the schedule for implementation.
Finland, with almost 1,400 km of
shared border with Russia, is the
ideal place to begin such testing. In
2012, 3 Russian IVS have been tested
in Finland, and in 2013, Finnish IVS
will be tested in Russia. There are
also plans to carry out further testing
of the Russian IVS in other countries
during 2013. This means that when
the eCall and ERA GLONASS systems
are launched in 2015, the driver
should be able to drive anywhere in
Europe and across Russia with access
to the two emergency call systems.
Standardisation and Certification
The HeERO International Conference
also provided an opportunity to
hear an update on the work of the
Standardisation Task Force. The
task force has met several times
throughout 2012 to discuss existing
standards and in the context of the
results from testing, 25 proposed
changes to the standards have been
submitted to the standardisation
bodies for consideration.
A further success for the
Standardisation Task Force this year
was the eCall interoperability testing
event, which was held in the UK in
June. The objective of this three
day event was to provide a realistic
environment for vendors to test their
IVS with different PSAP configurations
and vice-versa. Those participating
were able to monitor and assess their
product throughout the transmission
of the eCall, and the results gathered
were highly positive.
Looking forward to 2013, plans are in
place to set up an eCall certification
body, and many stakeholders have
already registered their interest.
Public Awareness
Another key element of the HeERO
project lies in raising public
awareness of eCall and gathering
support for its implementation. As
the pilot progresses, it is important
that citizens understand what eCall
is, how it will be of benefit to them,
and what they can realistically
expect from the service. At the same At the eCall interoperability testing event in the UK, June 2012
European Commissioner Neelie Kroes with the German test vehicle at the ITS World Congress in Viennna 2012
5
time, targeted events and initiatives
aimed at specific stakeholders in the
eCall value chain continue to be of
great value.
In close cooperation with EENA, a
variety of different events have been
organised over the course of the year.
From the EU Emergency Services
Workshop held in Riga in April, to
the Berlin eCall Days in September
and the eCall Technical Workshop in
the UK in October, culminating with
the HeERO International Conference
itself.
The HeERO project has also
participated in numerous events
at both national and international
levels, including the FIA Action for
Road Safety Day in Prague in June and
the ITS World Congress in Vienna in
October.
there is much work still to be done for the
implementation of pan-European eCall; however, with the cooperation and the will of all stakeholders involved, we will succeed in making eCall a reality across Europe
2013 and beyond
The HeERO pilot is a large and
multi-faceted project, and 2012 has
been an extremely busy year for all
those involved. Much momentum
has been gained in terms of testing,
the development of standards and
raising awareness, both amongst key
stakeholders and amongst the general
public. In 2013 the pace will be
stepped up further, as it is not only the
final year of the HeERO pilot; it will
also be the first year of the HeERO2,
the extension of HeERO. HeERO2
will extend the actions of the last
MEP Olga Sehnalová visits the HeERO stand at the Road Safety Day in
Prague, June 2012
two years 6 new countries: Belgium,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Luxembourg,
Spain and Turkey and run for two
years. Several other associate pilot
sites are planned, and the scope of
the pilots will be extended to include
new technical areas including eCall
for large goods vehicles, powered
two wheel vehicles and aftermarket
devices.
As Mr Andy Rooke, Project Manager
at ERTICO and HeERO Project
Coordinator concluded: “there is
much work still to be done for the
implementation of pan-European
eCall; however, with the cooperation
and the will of all stakeholders
involved, we will succeed in making
eCall a reality across Europe”.
We look forward to seeing you next
year in Bucharest at the second
HeERO International Conference!
eCall Special Session at the 19th ITS World Congress in Vienna
The Road to RioThe World Cup and Olympic games could help to revolutionise
Brazil’s transport network
On 12 August 2012 the world watched as 600,000 lights illuminated London’s Olympic stadium to mark the end of the
2012 Olympic Games. Standing on stage in front of 80,000 spectators and a global TV audience - Rio de Janeiro’s
mayor, Eduardo Paes accepted the Olympic flag on behalf of his country, and as he did so he introduced Brazil to the
world as hosts of the 2016 games.
Two years earlier, South American
football fans celebrated news that
Brazil would host the 2014 World Cup.
As hosts of two of the world’s largest
tournaments Brazil will be thrust
into the international limelight
over the next four years and has
the opportunity to shine as a one of
the world’s leading nations, and the
accompanying boost in visitor numbers
and foreign investment offers Brazil
the perfect opportunity to rebuild
and modernise its infrastructure and
transport network. In fact, if the
games are to be a success – there may
be no other choice.
Brazil is a large country which has an
estimated 1.7 million km of roads,
approximately 50,000 km of inland
waterways and a 30,000 km rail
network, however as home to nearly
200 million people and two of the
world’s largest cities (Rio de Janeiro
and Sao Paulo) Brazil is no strangers
to congestion. More than 21 million
people live in Sao Paulo alone and in
a single day in 2009, 293 kilometres
of traffic are said to have clogged the
city’s streets.
Brazil’s place on the BRIC list of
emerging economic powers adds
additional pressure. According to a
2010 report for The Economist, Brazil
ranked fourth in terms of new vehicle
registration which had boomed by an
enormous 120%! This took place with
a population growth of just 11%.
Introducing Intelligent Transport
To cope with this and a swell in cargo
traffic Brazilian authorities and city
planners will need to be incredibly
creative if they want to keep the
country’s goods, people and economy
moving when hundreds of thousands
of sports fans descend on their cities.
This offers a huge opportunity for
the ITS industry and this is a fact
that hasn’t been missed by Brazil’s
international partners such as the
USA and the EU. In March 2011 the
US and Brazil signed a ‘Memorandum
of Understanding’ to support the
Brazil at a glance
Politically stable with GDP growth of 7.5% in 2011
Home to almost 200 million people, Brazil has the world’s 7th largest economy.
84% of Brazilians live in cities
In 2014 12 Brazilian cities will host the Fifa World Cup.
In 2016 Rio will host the Olympic Games
Megacities: Brazil has two of the world’s largest cities (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro)
7
by Ian Bearder
organisation of major global sporting
events, and in April the same year
the US Commercial Service presented
a report on ‘Opportunities for US
companies in the Brazilian ITS
Market’. Meanwhile the EU has been
developing joint transport projects
in Brazil as part of its Seventh
Framework Programme (FP7). One of
these, Viajeo has promoted EU-Brazil
cooperation on sustainable transport
in partnership with the Brazilian
Bureau for Enhancing International
Cooperation with the European Union
(BB.Bice).
A Viajeo seminar held in April 2011
in São Paulo focused on ITS for large
events and electric mobility and
João Fernando Gomes de Oliveira,
president of Brazil’s Institute for
Technological Research (IPT) talked-
up the business opportunities that
arise from the sporting events.
Another EU funded project ‘STADIUM’
may also prove useful. The project is
working to improve the performance
of transport services and systems
during large events by examining the
use of ITS applications during three
major tournaments; the South African
World Cup (2010), the Commonwealth
Games (2010), and the London
Olympics (2012). Researchers involved
in the project are developing an
online ITS handbook to support those
responsible for organising large scale
events and the guide, which is due to
be finished in 2013, covers areas such
as planning and impact evaluation
and reviews of proven ITS systems. It
also provides a list of ITS suppliers.
Brazil will also be able to draw on its
own ITS experience.
According to Alessandro Santiago
dos Santos of Brazil’s Institute for
Technological Research (IPT), ITS
in Brazil is not as
well developed as
it is in Europe, but
progress is being
made.
“ I n t e l l i g e n t
Transport Systems
are not at the
forefront of
thinking for public
managers and
decision makers”
he says, “but the
country already
has considerable
ITS experience
in both highway
management and
public transport”.
“Brazil began its road concessions
programme in 1998 with the transfer
of the operational administration and
maintenance of highways to private
companies under the supervision of a
state-owned company. In concession
contracts, the use of ITS is mandatory
and critical to maintaining the quality
of services for citizens and cargo”.
Viajeo seminar in São Paulo, May 2012
Intelligent Transport Systems are not at the
forefront of thinking for public managers and decision makers, but the country already has considerable ITS experience in both highway management and public transport
CONTRAN 245
Brazil’s CONTRAN 245 resolution requires all new vehicles—trucks, cars and motorcycles—to be fitted with an antitheft tracking device. The legislation, which aims to tackle vehicle theft and reduce sky-high insurance costs, was almost dropped because of privacy concerns. However, as the law is implemented, Brazil is set to become a huge ITS market with many suppliers exploring ways to deliver additional location-based services.
With regards to public transport,
he says that electronic ticketing
systems have played a leading role;
“Ticketing in Brazil is characterised
by the predominance of contactless
card solutions. Furthermore, over
77% of cities with more than 50,000
inhabitants have electronic ticketing
mechanisms. The introduction of
automation and the remarkable
growth in the collection of fares was
driven by the need to control benefits
(discounts or exemptions), which
currently amount to more than half
of the users in most of the cities”.
He says the industry will also benefit
from a new law that requires all cities
with over 200 thousand inhabitants to
develop a “plan for urban mobility”,
If we find a solution for Sao Paulo, which is top
on the world’s cities’ list on transports’ problems, we will find a solution for the whole world
which must be integrated and
compatible with their master plans
of the city. In addition to this, a
‘Sustainable Brazil’ initiative has
promised to invest $2 billion in the
development of innovative products,
processes and services linked to the
concept of sustainability.
No time to lose
How authorities meet these
challenges and the final strategy used
to develop Brazil’s transport network
and manage the games remains to
be seen, yet work is already well
underway.
Eleven new Operational Control
Centres are being built in the World
Cup host cities and they will integrate
the management of traffic with
the operation of public transport,
the emergency services and public
security services.
Nine of the twelve World Cup host
cities are also building Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) lanes and in four cities
including Sao Paulo and Brasília the
government is financing light rail
systems such as monorails and trams.
In 2011, Sao Paulo State’s Secretary
for metropolitan transport predicted
that by 2013 twelve rail lines would
be under construction in his city and
promised that the subway network
would have grown by 80 km by 2014.
“We are moving at Chinese speed” he
said.
If this is true and if Brazil’s new
transport systems are a success
then the games could offer a real
vision for the future of movement.
As Angel Landabaso, the Science
and Technology Counsellor of the
European Commission in Brazil once
noted: “If we find a solution for Sao
Paulo, which is top on the world’s
cities’ list on transports’ problems,
we will find a solution for the whole
world”.
9
An extraordinary story; Bev Marks and his adventuresFrom the BBC to TISA, from RDS (Radio Data System) to TPEG (Transport Protocol Experts Group)
by Carla Coppola
In 1922 the American inventor Thomas Edison stated that “the radio craze will die out in time”. Almost a century has
passed by and here we are, talking about TISA, the Traveller Information Services Association whose work floats on the
radio frequencies, and about a man, Bev Marks, who spent more than 40 years working in broadcasting, first at the
BBC, as a broadcast engineer, secondly at the European Broadcasting Union, as an engineering consultant, and then at
TISA (Mr Marks will be retiring this year). Something went definitely wrong in Edison predictions...
Appointed TISA Executive Director in
2010, Mr Marks has seen TISA growing
up to 106 members worldwide
including car manufacturers, terminal
client device manufacturers, public
authorities, broadcasters, and
service and content providers. And
of course he was an integrating
part of and celebrated many of the
associations’ achievements.
Under the Marks’ leadership, TISA
published three position papers;
one on international standards in
support of the European ITS Directive
2010/40/EU, an ERTICO-joint one
on Traffic and Travel Information
(TTI) services and a most recent one
on the provision of a free minimum
universal traffic information service.
Bev Marks has been so much involved
in TISA work that one could say that
his achievements in the past two
years are TISA achievements. But
let’s proceed in order.
Founded in 2007, TISA has taken
over the activities carried out by the
TMC Forum, the TPEG Forum and
the German Mobile.Info project with
the scope to support standards that
provide a framework for services and
products covering traffic and travel
information.
Since its
creation, TISA
has grown
to over 100
Members in
28 countries
i n c l u d i n g
Brazil, China,
Russia, the
USA and the
United Arab
Emirates.
In 2011, during the ITS European
Congress in Lyon, former TISA
President Jonathan Burr and
EasyWay Chairman Ronald Adams
acknowledged the cooperation
between EasyWay ESG5 group
and TISA to work on the interface
between DATEX II and TPEG by signing
a Memorandum of Understanding.
According to TISA Coordinator Amaury
Image: courtesy of Bev Marks
TISA and EasyWay representatives sign the Memorandum of Understanding in Lyon at the 8th ITS European Congress
Cornelis, “the Lyon event was a
landmark for TISA as we had for the
first time in 4 years an autonomous
stand at a Congress with an end-to-
end demonstration on the booth”.
The same success was repeated a
year later in Vienna, this time at a
World Congress. In October 2012
TISA signed a Liaison Agreement with
GENIVI Alliance with the scope of
creating a framework for an exchange
of TISA Specifications between
the two communities in order to
harmonise protocols in the areas of
mutual interest. “These agreements
are perceived as fundamental for
the TISA work as they allow a close
cooperation of experts on specific
subjects, such as protocols and
standards”, Stephanie Chaufton,
Administrator of TISA, adds.
2012 has been indeed an exciting
year for the TISA community; in
May, on the occasion of the annual
General Assembly in Brussels, the
association presented the handbook
“TISA 12017 - TPEG What it is all
about”. This ‘TPEG for dummies’
offers a guideline for professionals to
understand concepts and principles
of TPEG (Transport Protocol Experts
Group) technology specifications and
follows “many of the ideas used in a
booklet originally
produced in 2003 by
the TPEG Project,
coordinated by the
EBU” (as clearly
mentioned in the
book).
One of the most
recent successes
of the association
was the first TPEG
Testfest held
in Munich last
September. During this event, jointly
organised by ERTICO and TISA, a
series of interoperability test cases
were organised focusing mainly
on the implementation of TPEG
applications currently defined in
TISA Specifications which are soon to
become worldwide Standards.
When asking about the birth of TISA
in 2007, Michel Reneric, founder
and former President of TISA,
explains that Bev Marks provided
the diplomatic drive behind the
establishment of the association.
“At the time we had two different
associations, the TPEG Forum and
the TMC Forum, which were offering
the same type of service in providing
traffic information. There was a risk
of conflict between the two activities
based on their different approaches
to technology; one analogical (RDS)
and one more modern (TPEG)”.
The greatest merit of Bev Marks,
according to Mr Reneric, was to stop
this competition and understand
both parties and to make them
sitting at the same table; “it was a
complex and delicate matter because
the two associations had to agree
on one governance, one statute,
one president, one structure. Bev
showed great comprehension and
sensibility in finding a balance fair to
both organisations, but also a strong
ability in writing the important
funding principles in a unambiguous
and fair manner”.
This unique capacity to listen
to all ideas and to moderate
conflicts before their escalation has
accompanied Bev Marks also in all his
participation in the working groups;
“certainly it was not an easy task to
put together Englishmen, French,
and Germans in the same working
group!” Mr Reneric yarns. This ability
to understand the various European
cultures is something that belongs to
him and that he practiced over his
15 years at the EBU - the European
Broadcasting Union - which counts 74
active members varying from Albania
to USA.TISA Committees Meetings in 2011 in Bosh premises in Berlin
TPEG Forum meetings in 2007 in Geneva at the EBU premises
11
Michel Reneric has also the merit to
have offered Bev Marks the position
of Executive Director of TISA at the
end of 2009 after Heinz Friedrichs.
“It was an obvious decision, taken
at the unanimity; after all his efforts
and work for TISA, he was the perfect
person for this position”.
A long term colleague of Bev Marks,
Theo Kamalski gives us some historical
insights on the early days of Bev Marks
work; “Bev is first of all an expert of
RDS (Radio Data System) where all
started and which paved the way to
the TMC and TPEG activities”. Mr
Kamalski also explains how the calm
(and calming) approach of Bev Marks
has been helpful in many occasions,
especially in difficult circumstances.
“I remember that at the end of a
meeting after a difficult discussion on
RDS he could come back in the room
and say ‘Gentlemen can we continue
this meeting in my own Battle field?’
[Battle is Bev Marks home town].
it is a joy working with Bev, he is not only an
extremely competent person but he has also a feeling of belonging to the organisation he works for, which is difficult to find in many professionals
He has a great sense of humour
capable of soothing the most difficult
situation”. “He is an extraordinary
person – Kamalski continues – I have
known Bev since 1984, together with
Mark Saunders we are the survivors
of the RDS expert group at EBU still
working for TISA”.
Thanks to Theo Kamalski we
discovered a quite extraordinary
document; “The Marks’ Newsletter”
produced in 1998 on the occasion
of the publication of the book “RDS
- The Radio Data System” written
by Bev Marks and Dietmar Kopitz.
In this unique newsletter Mr Marks
names TPEG probably for the first
time “during 1998, I have also been
working on a new Project for the EBU
called TPEG... This activity takes me
to Geneva every month for a week or
more”.
Thomas Kusche, current President of
TISA and long term representative of
the WDR (West German Broadcasting)
at the Broadcasting Union, has known
Bev Marks for over 12 years since Mr
Marks time at the EBU.
According to Mr Kusche two words
can best describe Bev Marks:
expertise and reliability; “it is a joy
working with Bev, he is not only an
extremely competent person but
he has also a feeling of belonging
to the organisation he works for,
which is difficult to find in many
professionals”. As said by Mr Kusche,
“Bev knows everyone in the industry,
if you need some technical advice you
can always refer to him as he has been
one of the key figures for TPEG”. Mr
Kusche participated in one of the last
TPEG Forum meetings in 2007, before
its merge with the TMC Forum into
TISA when Mr Marks was still working
for the EBU. He states that one of the
greatest successes of Bev Marks was
to make the commercial aspect and
possibilities of TPEG understood and
respected by a Union made of public
services.
Bev Marks and Matthias Unbehaun receive the Sparrow of Ulm from Martin Dreher in Bordeaux
The Sparrow of Ulm
According to legend, the construction of the tower of the cathedral of Ulm (the tallest in the world at 160m) stopped while only halfway completed when a wagon carrying a large wooden beam - loaded sideways - arrived at the narrow city gate. After contemplating how best to proceed, the mayor of Ulm gave the order to tear down part of the city wall, but before the order was carried out, a sparrow bird was observed manoeuvring a long twig into its nest - lengthwise! Following the lead of the sparrow, the beam was turned, the wagon passed through the narrow gate, work was resumed, the cathedral was completed, and the legend of the Ulmer Spätze (Spaarrow of Ulm) was born.
Source: http://www.steincollectors.org/library/articles/ulm/ulm.htm
But what do TPEG gurus think about
Bev Mark? Martin Dreher, “one of the
most knowledgeable experts in the
TPEG world”, as Amaury Cornelis
states, worked on TPEG software
development for over 10 years. Mr
Dreher first met Bev Marks in Geneva
at the TPEG Forum meetings; “I learnt
a lot from Bev, he is always very open
and supportive in finding a common
agreement, he has a great sensibility
towards and a deep understanding
for people of different nationalities”.
Mr Dreher worked with Marks in the
development of TPEG for long time
and explains the importance to
establish a universal terminology for
traveller information. “Once after a
meeting in Geneva we were walking
around. At one point I comment on
an Ilex (Latin name for Holly) and
immediately Bev understood what
tree I was referring to, because he is
a keen botanist and so we were both
using the standard Latin word rather
than the English or German ones. This
is what TPEG is about – a standardised
language for travel information”.
Mr Marks has been the originator of
the TPEG framework; as Mr Dreher
confirms “initially the working group
was called “B-TPEG”; Bev has been so
much involved in this work that we
used to joke that the B was standing
for Bev rather than for broadcast!”
Bev Marks appreciation comes from
all different parts of the industry; just
a few days ago, the TISA Committees
Meetings met in Bordeaux for the last
meeting of Mr Marks as Executive
Director. Mr Marks handed over
his mission to Matthias Unbehaun.
On that occasion the retiring and
designed Executive Directors received
an unusual gift from Martin Dreher;
the little sparrow of Ulm that inspired
the inhabitants of the German city
to complete the construction of
the cathedral tower. Symbolically,
Bev Marks is the sparrow of TISA as
he has inspired the TISA community
to build its work and to look to the
right direction. Matthias Unbehaun,
received a sparrow in a cage, ready
TISA Executive Office: Stephanie Chaufton, Bev Marks and Amaury Cornelis at the Committees Meetings in Bordeaux, 2012
to be released and to continue to
inspire.
Over his career Bev Marks has also
been granted with the title of
Honorary Member by the RDS Forum,
a non-profit international professional
industry association that aims to
promote and maintain the Radio Data
System (RDS) technology, developed
by the European Broadcasting Union
as an open system to enhance FM
broadcasting. As Dietmar Kopitz
explains, Bev Marks received his
honorary membership for his work in
RDS technology as “in the early days
of RDS Bev was responsible at the BBC
for implementing RDS on the BBC’s
transmitter networks”.
But Mr Marks achievements and
honours go way beyond TPEG...
a fond hiker, lover of nature and
countryside, the man who wears only
red socks is also the Chairman of the
Battle Ramblers, a walking group
and affiliated club to the national
Ramblers Association in the UK. Last
July, together with some other 200
audacious ramblers, Mr Marks walked
for a week, every evening, during the
Battle’s Big Event.
This is only the latest of Bev Marks
successes, many more are to come
as many more there will be for the
TISA community. Indeed 2013 is going
to be a busy year for the association
with the next Committees Meetings
hosted in Seattle in March and the
second Testfest announced in May
hosted again in Munich.
The author wishes to thank Stephanie
Chaufton, Amaury Cornelis, Michel
Reneric, Thomas Kusche, Theo Kamalski,
Martin Dreher and Dietmar Kopitz for
their help in putting together this article.
initially the working group was called “B-TPEG”; Bev
has been so much involved in this work that we used to joke that the B was standing for Bev rather than for broadcast!
13
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April 2013 ERTICO Forum – ITS for Insurance
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Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 June 2013, 9th European ITS Congress, www.itsineurope.com
Tokyo, Japan, 14-18 October 2013, 20th ITS World Congress, www.itsworldcongress.jp
Helsinki, Finland, 16-19 June 2014, 10th European ITS Congress
Detroit, USA, 7-11, September 2014, 21st ITS World Congress
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