Melbourne, 14 November 2016 – ITS Australia has welcome the National Transport Commission (NTC) roadmap of reform for automated vehicle regulation and the goal of removing a ‘patchwork of conflicting requirements in different states and territories’.
It follows a recent meeting of the Transport and Infrastructure Council in which Ministers agreed to a series of reform initiatives to facilitate the increased testing and trialling of automated vehicles in Australia.
In a statement, NTC’s Chief Executive Paul Retter said that removing regulatory barriers will maximise the benefits of automated vehicles, including improved road safety, freight productivity and reduced road congestion.
ITS Australia CEO Susan Harris said the industry supports harmonisation of Australian regulations to ensure automated road vehicles moving people and freight can travel freely between states.
“Rapid advances are being made in vehicle technology, in particular with vehicle automation, and it is important our road rules keep pace.
“Disjointed state laws will lead to confusion, more risks on the road and barriers to movement.
“Nationally uniform laws for automated vehicles with performance based safety standards will encourage global players to consider investing in Australia for the development and trialling of automated vehicles while supporting strong safety standards for the Australian community,” Ms Harris said.
Last month, ITS Australia hosted the annual ITS World Congress in Melbourne, attended by close to 11,500 delegates from 73 countries. Automated and connected vehicles were featured on technical tours and at vehicle technology demonstrations, and the role of governments and industry transport legislation were key discussions in plenary and executive sessions.
“We know that Australia’s review of initiatives to facilitate testing and trialling of automated vehicles is of significance locally and across the world.
“A number of international jurisdictions are watching this space carefully as they have similar challenges.
“This is an opportunity for Australia to continue to be a thought-leader by making informed decisions on a complex issue and sharing the information on the global stage,” Ms Harris said.
To view the NTC media release and report, visit www.ntc.gov.au
For more information, visit www.its-australia.com.au
