PSSST – Policies for sustainable, shared self-driving transportation
ITRL has previously investigated the impacts of self-driving technology on the region of Stockholm and on the public transport system in the project. To expand on this project, Region Stockholm has funded a project aimed at investigating policies that may be relevant in the case of a wide-spread adoption of self-driving vehicles.
Background
Self-driving technology may have large impacts on society, which has been shown by previous research done at ITRL . During 2018-2020, ITRL worked on the project Self-driving vehicles and public – transport opportunities and barriers, which had multiple conclusions regarding the impact for the region of Stockholm, among them that public transport may benefit greatly from self-driving technology. However, one key take-away was that it might result in an increase in car traffic, and therefore also an increase in e.g. CO2, questioning the sustainability of the technology.
ITRL therefore applied for a project continuing the work, together with the division of Transport Planning at KTH.
Aim
To get a clearer view of how society can govern towards goals for the transportation system (e.g. CO2 emission reductions), in light of new self-driving technology. More precisely, the following questions will be answered:
- How does self-driving technology impact the current policy instruments that public actors use?
- Which new policy instruments may be used and which impacts to they have?
Methodology
The project will develop two frameworks for, first, understanding common societal goals among different actors and possible interventions. And secondly, an analytical framework for evaluating the different proposed policy interventions.