DRIVE A2B February 2021

applicants could be provided with
more clarity on the importation
process and trial application process.
A suggestion is that governments
organise a centralised online portal
for potential trial applicants to view
in the one place the process of a trial
from the very start to end.
There have been key findings about
the technology, project operation,
safety, road users, occupants,
reporting and infrastructure of the
trials. We have to remember that
automated vehicle trials shine a
light on many things other than the
technology itself.
Other elements that provoked
thought were business models,
viability as a transport solution, test
infrastructure and public acceptance.
Moving forward, governments and
trialling organisations should consider
what learnings and outcomes they
want arising from running these trials
in their jurisdictions, as to assist in
their decision-making in the future.
Most of the automated vehicle trials
that have been carried out have used
automated shuttle buses, and these
trials have come up with similar
results across all areas. Yet, from the
great amount of automated shuttle
bus trials actioned to date, the path to
commercialisation is still not evident.
Technology providers will look to
progress their testing to larger, more
complex trials and test out commercial
business models.
It is vital to increase public acceptance
of this technology prior to commercial
deployment. The thousands of
Australians who got to experience
the technology first-hard in the trials
generally reacted very positively.
Sharing takeaways from the trials
among governments surrounding
matters like safety incidents (including
those with human operators) and
trial locations is significant in avoiding
potential safety incidents and the
duplication of trials, respectively.
In order for Australia to be in an
optimal position for the commercial
deployment of automated vehicles,
governments need to be confident in
the objectives of the trials, so they are
able to evaluate them in consideration
of those objectives.
Some state/territory governments
are driven to partner up with trialling
organisations as funders, while others
assist in creating a ‘safe space’ for trials
in their jurisdictions.
Trialling organisations, on the other
hand, have contrasting reasons.
Depending on the type of trialling
organisation, it may want to test the
safety of the technology or want to
encourage the industry and address
transport disadvantages.
As the government plays a central role
in the ongoing nature of the trials, it
needs to consider the full scope of
objectives for trialling, especially the
objectives that go beyond their regular
objectives and go beyond industry
objectives.
Clearer objectives will lead to better
evaluation, which in turn will lead to
better sharing.
Evaluation and sharing learnings
haven’t been on the top of the priority
list for state/territory governments,
but it is now obvious that
governments will need to learn from
each other so that Australia is at the
best position to launch automated
vehicles commercially. The good
thing is that there is a willingness to
be more open. Austroads is working
to facilitate this.
DRIVE A2B magazine · www.drivea2b.com.au · February 2021
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