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In 2019, the Queensland Government and the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads released its 30-Year Transport Strategy. In response, ITS Australia prepared the following submission.
We commend the Queensland Government investing in the development of a long-term transport strategy and appreciate the opportunity for ITS Australia to make a submission to this consultation initiative.
ITS Australia last year published a report on opportunities and consumer expectations for Mobility as a Service in Australia and a key outcome of the research and report was the development of a Vision for MaaS in Australia. We are pleased to note that this closely correlates with the 5 customer-centric tenets that guide your strategy and approach to the future of transport in Queensland.
The vision of MaaS offers the potential to drastically improve customer choices, reduce travel costs, increase network capacity and transport sustainability while improving social and environmental outcomes. Our research also shows the opportunities to leverage MaaS to increase employment opportunities, grow our tourism sector, and better plan our towns and cities to improve the lives of all Australians now and into the future.
To support these goals ITS Australia undertakes to work with government and industry to shape opportunities for MaaS that address the following 7 outcomes:
To further the national collaboration towards these outcomes for MaaS in Australia, a National Reference Committee has been established to continue the collaboration that was fostered during the development of the ITS Australia MaaS report and to strive for the best outcomes for MaaS and on-demand transport for all Australians.
The Reference Committee is made up of project participants, including Transport and Main Roads Queensland, and other key industry stakeholders to ensure a broad range of expertise can contribute to and collaborate on the development of MaaS in Australia through sharing updates on activities in respective jurisdictions and organisations; including research, trials, and international engagement.
With more than 1,200 people dying and over 30,000 people being seriously injured each year on Australia’s roads, the only long-term goal we can have is for zero fatal and serious injuries. To that end, we believe we will only work towards that vital and ambitious goal through transport technologies, including C-ITS and automated vehicle technology.
Safety needs to be the foundation on which any deployment of C-ITS and development of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) and other transport technologies rests and we are optimistic about the innovation and expertise in our industry and the functionality that will be available to the wider community.
To that end, we strongly endorse the initiative to expand C-ITS on the network to ensure our infrastructure can deliver on these safety benefits and be ready to support CAVs as they become more operational.
In advance of any wide-spread CAV deployments modal shift from private vehicles to mass transit is the key to a more productive and efficient network, and importantly being safer and more sustainable, particularly in our growing cities.
Real-time information, integrated smart ticketing systems, multi-modal trip planning, and other innovations offering improved customer experience rests on transport technologies that need to be consistently developed and deployed to enable the opportunities they offer to benefit all Australians.
A strong government role will be critical to ensure that the deployment of these technologies is guided to improve the quality of life for citizens. Governments need to provide regulatory oversight to give the public confidence in testing and deployment as well as support collaboration across industry and the community.
To that end we are very supportive of existing and emerging pilots and trials underway and proposed around the country, building a collaborative and transparent understanding of the challenges and opportunities these technologies offer, and ensuring that public safety is always the key consideration. Government should also play a key role in working with the private sector to facilitate deployment and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to enhance the widespread deployment of proven technologies.
We also strongly endorse the recognition that the role of government should be increasingly that of an enabler rather than direct provider and partnering with the private sector with a focus on being more agile and responsive to change.
We note data is repeatedly referenced with regards to privacy, security, and customer protections which are extremely important considerations. To enable a real improvement in customer experience there are also innovations that can be offered only through the effective and responsible sharing of data from both the public and private sectors. ITS Australia strongly support the Queensland Transport Strategy proposed initiative to work with industry to share transport data.
A key outcome from the MaaS National Reference Committee Workshop was the need to consider a National Data Framework for MaaS in Australia that could guide industry and government to enable the best outcomes for our networks and communities.
Also of interest to Queensland Government and Transport and Main Roads would be a Connected and Automated and Electric Vehicles Roundtable ITS Australia facilitated that considered the way we currently model potential impacts of these emerging technologies and opportunities to enable a more wholistic approach for Australia while recognising regional differences.
ITS Australia are undertaking some work to better understand the overall change dynamics through a sociological perspective, to consider what are the cultural differences and possible choices Australians will make that impact on the benefits we are hoping these technologies could offer.
The necessary investigation of alternative fuel sources to enhance the sustainability of our transport network, including the increasing role electric vehicles will play, will require us to remodel the existing payment structure for access to our networks, and ITS Australia are well placed and motivated to support government in enabling what will be a vital and challenging shift in economic models. This shift will need to include behavioural change programs through incentives and a better understanding of the economics of transport pricing models and network allocations.
For your consideration we have also attached the ITS Australia Statement on Connected and Automated Vehicles following the page showcasing our members across the breadth of the transport and technology sectors. As a peak body that represents national and international organisations we strongly support an approach that works towards harmonisation and cross-jurisdictional considerations and are keen to be involved in these ongoing discussions.
ITS Australia commends the Queensland Government and Department of Transport and Main Roads in detailing a comprehensive strategic plan to leverage the benefits of these important existing, emerging, and future opportunities and are keenly interested in supporting any efforts to acquire information from industry that will support the on-going planning for these technologies and initiatives that will drive safer and more efficient transport networks in Queensland.
Read more of ITS Australia's Statements & Submissions
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