ICT and Transport Modes

In total, 50 years ago Information and communication technologies (ICTs) were hypothesized to be the new transport mode that would substitute the physical, often problematic transportation system. Although some physical activities were replaced by virtual ones and did eliminate physical travel, much of the influence of ICTs involves modification of activities and the way we use the physical transport system, rather than replacing it. Both directly via intelligent transportation system (ITS) (intelligent information systems) and indirectly via behavioral modification, ICTs improve the physical transport system (and thus may increase its usage), relaxing space-time constraints, allowing adjustment of travel routes and travel timing, and enabling activity fragmentation and multitasking while traveling. Such adjustments affect the utility of traveling and the well-being of transport system users.