transport system designed to move material entities across the surface or near-surface of the Earth

NOTE 1 to entry A surface transport system can include tunnels, bridges and similar elements.

NOTE 2 to entry There is not complete agreement on the precise limitations of a “surface transport system” within the ITS community. Currently, the term is almost exclusively applied to ground-based travel of goods and people over significant distances. The term is viewed as including ferry systems, which often form an integral part of a local surface transport system; it is less clear if it includes long-distance sea-fairing ships. The term “surface transport systems” is also generally limited to transport systems that cover a considerable distance (e.g. factory conveyance technologies are not often referred to as “surface transport systems”). It has been suggested that air travel, which is arguably a transport system designed to move physical entities between points on the surface of the earth, ought to be included in the scope of the term, but this perspective is not universally accepted. It is expected that the exact limitations of the term will be further refined as ITS matures.

NOTE 3 to entry Due to the defined scope of ITS, the term “transport system” is intended to be interpreted as being synonymous with the term “surface transport system” unless explicitly specified otherwise.