The European parliament has approved a new legal framework for intelligent transport systems (ITS), which provides the European commission with a seven-year guideline on using ITS solutions.

The EC vice-president Siim Kallas said the directive will accelerate the deployment of innovative interoperable and seamless ITS services across Europe.

The EC hopes to reduce the cost of traffic congestion by 10% and prevent more than 5,000 deaths in road accidents each year through the deployment of ITS.

ITS that apply information and communication technologies to various modes of transport will bring about a cleaner, safer and more efficient transport system, according to the EC.

Traffic and travel information, eCall emergency system and intelligent truck parking are expected to be the main priorities of the directive.