demonstrations and it will be in the future. Automation in transport is being closely watched, and some accidents have already occurred. Different types of automated trans-
port systems in the city - and beyond the city centre - can be imagined in the future (shuttles, convoys of shut- tles or buses if needed). As I said I think automated shut-
tles have a future if they come as a complementary mode in the trans- port supply chain, in particular if they are linked to our BRT lines, in order to feed them. Such vehicles may be used for tourism purposes or more generally as a “last mile” complement in the historic heart of La Rochelle, but they could also be seen as an aid to walking – which is something we also try to stimulate. Some other uses might be con- sidered, notably to manage more efficiently ing
our service YéloMobile electric YéloMobile. electric
car-shar- Imagine
vehicles that
can go by themselves closer to the customer or relocate to a station in order to meet the demand. In areas other than the histori-
cal city centre (with larger avenues or boulevards), we could imagine the circulation of bigger vehicles that would circulate on a dedicated lane. This could be an answer to the weak point represented by the speed limit we encountered during the CityMobil2 demonstration in our city. It is also conceivable that automated vehicles could be used in urban logis- tics, a topic on which we are currently working to define a strategy. Whatever the uses might be, what
is certain is that we do not want these vehicles to be “gadgets” or a sim- ple attraction. They must address a need, and ensure a mobility service - both efficient and flexible.
How do you see the future of auto- mated vehicles in Europe? Will they become a true alternative on a
16
collective level (public transport) or more on an individual base? Both,
I would say! But not at the
same time. Car manufacturers are currently working hard to develop automated cars. I am fascinated by the acceleration of their develop- ments. But I believe that in the years to come, the car manufacturers will deliver cars offering very advanced and efficient “driver assistance” sys- tems rather than a “full automation” system: it will take some time before we see autonomous cars go where you want, from door to door, on all types of road. But
if we talk about the near
future, we need to think collectively. We must also think about the public space in our cities ... and this space is becoming more and more valu- able. We want a quiet and peaceful city. We do not want to replace bot- tlenecks of individual conventional cars by traffic jams of autonomous cars. That is why I favour a collective approach - as an efficient, flexible addition that encourages us to use public transport. We of course keep in mind that
individual autonomous car will also circulate on our roads in the future, and that all systems will need to be (inter-)connected. What is immedi- ately at stake now is to improve the legislation that allows these vehi- cles to operate in town permanently beyond one-off demonstrations.
What would be your recommen- dations for other cities wishing to demonstrate or deploy automated systems? To form a strong local partnership (mobility
authority/city, operator,
research laboratories, etc.) made up of actively involved and committed people. To prepare upstream the consul-
tation with stakeholders, make sure that every aspect of communication and information dissemination is not left out.
thinkingcities.com
To have a clear vision of how the
whole system could work, consider its integration with the other modes of transport and road users and think about an integrated pricing system.
What would you recommend to the European Commission and to the industry sector? To quickly adopt a standardised reg- ulation at a European level (at least). To keep helping those cities wish- ing to go further in the introduc- tion of automated vehicles in urban areas, despite the diverse or com- plex environments. And by doing so, contributing to the move from pilot experiments to a permanent offer of an automated transport service. And still pay the closest attention to
the human: automation must be intro- duced in order to free human beings from painful or repetitive tasks. As far as transport is concerned, automation can have extremely positive effects on road safety and environment but it can also have a negative impact if the pro- cess is not managed properly. This is why the European Commission must, in parallel to demonstrations, develop in-depth studies on the impact of automated systems in the city, includ- ing those focusing on the interac- tion of these automated vehicles with pedestrians and cyclists.
FYI
Pasquale Cancellara, is Communications Intern and
Thomas Mourey is Project Officer at Polis Netwokr
pcancellara@polisnetwork.eu tmourey@polisnetwork.eu
With thanks to Matthieu Graindorge, EU Projects manager, Communauté d’Agglomération de La Rochelle
matthieu.graindorge@
agglo-larochelle.fr
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