ARRB has been working with the Federal Government’s Office of Future Transport Technology.
OFFICE OF FUTURE TRANSPORT
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SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 2018, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S OFFICE OF FUTURE TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN WORKING TO BRING A COHESIVE AND UNIFIED APPROACH TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, BUT WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SINCE THEN AND WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
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n late 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced the Office of Future Transport Technology would be established within the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. The new office will help prepare for the pending arrival of automated vehicles and other transport innovations. The initiative is made possible through a $9.7 million investment by the Federal Government. With automated vehicles on the verge of becoming commercially available, the Federal Government is taking steps to manage the associated challenges and opportunities within the evolving and future transport landscape. In an address to a Roads Australia event in late 2018, Mr McCormack had signalled that governments and industry needed to collaborate effectively to develop the right policy, regulation and infrastructure to adapt to future technology. “The Australian future transport and mobility industry is expected generate more than $16 billion in revenue by 2025,” Mr McCormack said. “While representing an emerging business opportunity for the national economy,
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these technologies also have great potential to reduce the $27 billion cost of road crashes in Australia each year.” Mr McCormack highlighted that he expected the Office to collaborate across governments to ensure automated vehicles are safe, consider future infrastructure needs and that cyber-security safeguards are in place. He said this would ensure businesses can take advantage of new commercial opportunities. The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has been providing its expertise and support to the Office since its inception. In an interview with Roads & Infrastructure in early April, Mr. McCormack reiterated he was working closely with ARRB through the office. The work of the office is consistent with ARRB’s main streams: intelligent roads; the future of asset management; disruptive journeys, platforms and services; smart journeys, the human factors of transport and sustainability. More recently, ARRB is continuing to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and recently released the latest transport research from Victoria. As expected, there’s already been major reductions in
congestion and foot-traffic, with ARRB believing this trend will likely be similar in most capital cities. ARRB Chief Executive Officer Michael Caltabiano says the COVID-19 shutdown offers a critical opportunity for Victoria to understand and deal with its transport issues before life eventually returns to normal. “We need to take this opportunity to reimagine now what a post-COVID-19 backto-work should look like. Do we take the opportunity to change the way in which are freeways are used?” To that end, the research and testing underpinning the acceleration of future transport technologies is not going anywhere. It remains in line with the Transport and Infrastructure Council’s National Land Transport Technology Action Plan 2020-2023. The council brings together Commonwealth, state, territory and New Zealand ministers responsible for transport and infrastructure issues, as well as the Australian Local Government Association. In acknowledging that transport technology is changing rapidly, the 20202023 action plan highlights how new and innovative technologies could bring about
