Policy recommendations
Rules and regulations
Target audience: Policy makers, Transport authorities, Operators, Manufacturers
- Policy makers, European and national level: more harmonised rules for establishing regulations for road and vehicle design to ensure safety, including travel assistance if needed, to people with mobility challenges. Requires collaboration between vehicle manufacturers, transport operators and policy makers.
- Policy makers, local level: set clear rules on the public service obligations that transport authorities impose on transport operators about the introduction of CCAM services for people with mobility challenges.
Market-based instruments
Target audience: Policy makers, Transport authorities, Operators, Manufacturers
- Operators and public sector: need for public incentives and subsidies to promote CCAM adoption, especially during the initial phases. The willingness to invest by operators may be limited unless public subsidies or a clear short-to-medium-term profit potential is available. The role of EU and national projects and programmes funding for R&D and trials can play an important role in setting up viable business models.
- There are several areas in which local or regional administrations can support services for people with mobility challenges:
- budget for training
- public sector contracts for facilities with disabled people
- active job promotion by job centres
- health apps as medical rehabilitation services
- carriage of assistance dogs
- protection against violence, etc.
In the long term, the appropriate use of market-based instruments can support the establishment of sustainable business models for operators.
Infrastructure development policy
Target audience: Policy makers, Transport authorities, Infrastructure owners, Operators
- Consider need for dedicated rights of way for CCAM public and shared transport, where possible (possibly shared with other public transport) in order to allow faster commercial speeds in a safe environment, with greatly reduced traffic conflicts. In this context, segregated roadways or lanes with a physical barrier (such as a kerb) between it and general traffic, and barrier or bollard-controlled entry/exit, to prevent unauthorised vehicles. Other specific vehicles, such as traditional buses and emergency service vehicles, could have access to such rights of way, provided their drivers are trained in interacting with higher speed automated vehicles.
- Implement smart traffic management systems such as detection of CCAM public transport and traffic signal / junction priority, to reduce delays and also to reduce the likelihood of sudden stops which can be uncomfortable or dangerous for passengers.
- Establish a clear hierarchy of traffic modes, including CCAM public/shared transport vehicles, with respect to integrating infrastructure and driving/access/priority rules into strategic urban planning (e.g. SUMPs).
- Ensure interoperability between CCAM, traditional buses and other modes at nodes such as bus stops and interchanges.