FUTURE OF INFORMATION ACCESS OVERVIEW OF OECD AND LATIN AMERICA PERSPECTIVE ACCESSING TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION RESOURCES WORLDWIDE July 29 - August 2, St. Petersburg, Florida Roberto Aguerrebere, IMT, Mexico

2 Content n Some characteristics of LA (OECD Acapulco questionaire) n Some basic context diferences between OECD and Latin American countries

3 Content n Some characteristics of LA (OECD Acapulco questionaire) u Organisation of origin, information requested and usual sources consulted u Access to information highlights u Access restrictions profile u Suggestions for access improvment

4 Type of organization of origin

5 Type of requested information Other: Rates, O-D Travel times

6 Sources of information and documentation Access to Information n Government Agencies n Research Centers n International Agencies n Universities n Associations

7 Access to information n 2/3 have easy access to own country information n 1/3 have access to information from other countries

8 Access to information Other: Postal mail, Internet and attendance to courses n 1/3 use a computer to access information n less than 1/5 use Internet

9 Access to Internet n 86% have access to Internet n Only the 36% use it as main tool of search. n 94% had interest in knowing a wider use of Internet to obtain information and documentation. Access to Information

10 Paying information services n With Internet access: 10 n Corporative account for Dialogue- TRIS : 2 n STN/ITRD -OCDE: 0 n Silver Platter/CD TRANSPORT: 2 Only a couple of persons responsibles for information searches had access to Internet & other paying-services Access to Information

11 Access restrictions 1 n Distortions in communications n Lack of dissemination n High costs of information n Old information n Confidentiality n Language (foreign) n Lack of computers or Internet access n Unknown channels for accessing Access to Information

12 Access restrictions 2 n Reduced time available for searching and reading n Bureaucratic paperwork to obtain information n Lack of budget for acquiring information and equipment n Not all sources do have website n Scarce documentation n Lack of contacts in countries with information Access to Information

13 Improving access to information 1 n Institutional agreements for information exchange n A common place where transportation departments could publish news/papers about technological advances (web-based technology clearing- house?) n Disseminate innovations for information access

14 Improving access to information 2 n Greater dissemination about companies and organisms related to the handling of information n Brochures informing the location of data sources, including websites n To implement in all government agencies levels n To facilitate Internet access to recent publications

15 Improving access to information 3 n To improve computing equipment n Greater budgets

16 Some fundamental differences OECD n More economic development n More mobility and transportation activity n Larger transportation market and more participants n More research and technological innovation Latin America n Less economic development n Less mobility and transportation activity n Smaller market and less participants n Little research and technological innovation

17 Some fundamental differences OECD n More information & documentation demand n More bussiness opportunities n More investment in information and documentation n More information & documentation offer - in quantity and quality Latin America n Inhibited information & documentation demand n Market to develop n Less investment in information and documentation n Smaller information and documentation offer - in quantity and quality

18 FOR YOUR ATTENTION FOR YOUR ATTENTION, THANKS