Skip to main content

2016 Polis conference calls greater understanding of automated transport

The recent Polis 2016 Conference was attended by 450 mobility professionals from across Europe and beyond who met to debate on urban and regional mobility. Local and regional authorities called for greater understanding of where automated road transport can benefit cities. The conference plenary session brought together local governments, the automobile industry, research and the European and international institutions to explore where automated vehicles can deliver benefit for cities and what needs to b
December 5, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The recent Polis 2016 Conference was attended by 450 mobility professionals from across Europe and beyond who met to debate on urban and regional mobility. Local and regional authorities called for greater understanding of where automated road transport can benefit cities.

The conference plenary session brought together local governments, the automobile industry, research and the European and international institutions to explore where automated vehicles can deliver benefit for cities and what needs to be done to make this happen. The panellists acknowledged that automated vehicles are not an end in themselves.

Using an online live voting tool, conference delegates proposed public transport as the most adapted mode for full automation, ahead of public transport feeders for the first/last mile, shared mobility and urban delivery services.

Automation will be a priority item on the Polis agenda for 2017 and will draw on information from Polis members involved in automated vehicle projects and the knowledge gained through Polis involvement in several European projects dealing with automation, including CityMobil2 which demonstrated fully automated first/last mile transport services, and MAVEN which is investigating the implications of fully automated vehicles on traffic management.

Related Content

  • AI adoption in transportation needs a boost, says TRL
    May 20, 2025
    More help required to reach AI's potential, according to new report
  • MaaS transit does Dallas
    October 22, 2018
    What started five years ago as a mobile ticketing app is evolving towards a full MaaS offering for the US city of Dallas, Texas. Colin Sowman finds out why and how. When it was launched in September 2013, GoPass was the first multimodal, multi-agency transit fare payment app in the US. Introduced by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Dart), GoPass combines a mobile ticketing app with a trip planning function and it is also accepted by Trinity Railway Express, Trinity Metro and the Denton County Transportation
  • Safer roads need safe systems approach, better infrastructure
    January 19, 2012
    Some developed countries are far from leading the way when it comes to making road infrastructure safe. In fact, says the Road Safety Foundation's Joanne Hill, they learn a lot from what is happening in emergent nations. A new report from the Road Safety Foundation, 'Saving Lives, Saving Money - the costs and benefits of achieving safe roads', makes some startling assertions about attitudes to road safety. Although concerned predominantly with the UK, there are some universal lessons to be learned, accordin
  • Managed lane operators: meet the CAV pioneers
    June 26, 2018
    There is some controversy over the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles – but Robert Deans of Transurban North America explains how managed lanes could be vital in the development of CAVs, benefiting everyone. Managed lane operators have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the testing and roll-out of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), assisting and accelerating the transition of CAVs onto road networks to deliver economic and safety benefits. Managed lane facilities