Skip to main content

Polis: the role of cities and regions on road vehicle automation

Local and regional authorities and public transport providers need to play a more prominent role in the development of policy around autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to a new paper from Brussels-based Polis. Called Road Vehicle Automation and Cities and Regions, the study aims to raise awareness of AV developments and their potential mobility impact among city and regional administrations and to assist them in setting transport policies. In addition, Polis intends to increase awareness of transport
January 31, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Local and regional authorities and public transport providers need to play a more prominent role in the development of policy around autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to a new paper from Brussels-based Polis. Called Road Vehicle Automation and Cities and Regions, the study aims to raise awareness of AV developments and their potential mobility impact among city and regional administrations and to assist them in setting transport policies.

In addition, Polis intends to increase awareness of transport policies among vehicle manufacturers and other key players, as well as communicate the views of local government on AV developments to a range of policy makers. The document is also striving to challenge the AV community to develop products and services that fit the communities they will be used in.

Polis has recognised that widespread introduction in urban areas could lead to increased congestion, negative environmental impacts and negative health impacts if walking and cycling are discouraged.

The paper recommends that City and regional authorities start considering what policies will ensure a positive outcome and highlights the need for a dialogue between the transport authorities, industry and service providers on AV deployment-related issues. It also suggests that more research is needed on the impact of AVs in urban environments and that the National government and 1690 European Commission (EC) should pay greater attention to sustainable mobility goals, in line with the EU Transport White Paper. Additionally, the EC and member states can also play a role in enabling these recommendations, through research programmes, regulation and as facilitators of multi-stakeholder cooperation.

More information on the definition of automation; the potential impacts of automation and the issues that city and regional authorities need to address and engage on, can be found within a full copy of the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external paper Polis network discussion paper link false https://www.polisnetwork.eu/uploads/Modules/PublicDocuments/polis_discussion_paper_automated_vehicles.pdf false false%>.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • RTD joins forces with Uber for trip planning in Denver
    February 6, 2019
    The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver, Colorado, has entered into an agreement which will allow its riders to view transit routes within Uber’s app. RTD says the collaboration will allow commuters to plan their travel with additional first/last mile options. Riders can select the app’s ‘Transit’ option to see available routes, real-time schedules and walking directions to and from stations. Looking ahead, the partnership intends to allow riders to purchase RTD tickets via the app,
  • Boeing and Kitty Hawk partner on air urban mobility
    July 10, 2019
    Boeing has joined forces with California-based Kitty Hawk with the aim of advancing air urban mobility. Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing Next, a subsidiary focusing on exploring urban air mobility, says the partners will focus on "safely advancing the future of mobility". Kitty Hawk's range of electric transportation solutions includes Cora, a two-seated air taxi, and Flyer, a vehicle for personalised flight. In January, Boeing completed a test flight of its autonomous
  • Lyft, Uber have mixed impact on San Fran mobility
    May 14, 2018
    The extent to which ride-hailing has become a real force in the mobility landscape of San Francisco is great for consumers – but there are downsides, a report finds. Andrew Stone takes a look. Uber and Lyft, the two major ride-hailing platforms in San Francisco, are out-competing local cab firms in many ways - and are firmly established as a significant part of the daily mobility mix there, a recent study reveals. Researchers mined publicly-available data derived from the application programming interface
  • Intertraffic launch for Kapsch’s compact EETS compliant OBU
    March 19, 2018
    A partnership between Kapsch TrafficCom and Axxès sees a new EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) compliant on-board unit (OBU) being launched at Intertraffic. The new compact unit is said to offer improve usability and provide a larger capacity for value-added services. In developing the new solution, Axxès and Kapsch built on their existing cooperation which has already seen Axxès supply a fleet of 200,000 trucks with Kapsch’s satellite solution. According to Jerome Lejeune, president of Axxès, the