ITS and other tech helps the MoT

This story first appeared in the August issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

The use of technology and how it can help the Ministry of Transport achieve its outcomes is a key part of the ministry’s thinking.

Helen Robertson from the MoT recently attended the Future of Transportation World Conference in Cologne to find out more.

She then gave a presentation on the conference at the ITS New Zealand AGM.

Nine conference streams and more than 100 presentations by companies, regulators, policy makers and academics, ensured plenty of information for Robertson to bring back to New Zealand.

Some of the streams looked at urban air mobility, the legal and regulatory challenges of autonomous vehicles (AVs), Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and infrastructure and project funding.

“Attending conferences like this help us to understand developments in the world of transport which we can use to inform our policy thinking,” Robertson says.

She says there was a strong focus on urban air mobility, with the “flying car” becoming more of a reality.

More than 90 companies are investing in electric and hybrid/electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, Robertson says.
That includes the Zephyr Airworks Cora pilotless air taxi trials in Canterbury.

Why now?
Because technology has improved rapidly, Robertson says.
“Computing got lighter, sensors got lighter, improving battery performance (50km range today but expected to grow to 90km by 2025) are all factors,” she says.

Low cost manufacturing, movement to performance and risk-based regulations are also key.

“There were interesting presentations from Mobility as a Service operators such as Whim, which is operating in a several European cities,” Robertson says.
“Helsinki want to be the first city where people don’t need to own a car by 2025.
It’s the view of companies like Whim that cities will need MaaS to realise this goal.
”
Whim’s early findings show 47,000 users in Helsinki, over one million Euros in net payments received and more than 750,000 trips completed.

More people are likely to walk, cycle and use public transport there, leading to some reductions in private vehicle use.

“There was the view that dedicated infrastructure is needed to fully unlock the potential of AVs and that there’s an urgent need to organise and finance the necessary infrastructure,” Robertson says.

That raises the question about how much is needed here to invest ahead of AV uptake.
“Or do we wait and see?”
The MoT is considering such questions and what decisions, particularly around regulatory and investment requirements, are needed to ensure New Zealand is ready to deploy new and emerging technologies and business models where supporting transport outcomes.