Technology and Innovation hub

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

The transport system provides access to healthcare, education, services, leisure activities and opportunities to work. Technology and innovation can be an enabler for greater access.

Autonomous vehicles or innovative schemes such as ridesharing may assist those who are otherwise unable to use private vehicles or public transport due to mobility, safety, or economic concerns. Smart infrastructure could also support uptake of active modes, such as walking and cycling through innovation like crossing signals that respond to traveller speed.

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

Commercially driven innovations may be deployed in a way which target affluent people and areas while bypassing disadvantaged groups who could see the greatest benefits from the technology.

Government can help alleviate this problem by shaping the implementation policies and regulations around technology and innovation and ensuring that it acts as an enabler for as many people as possible rather than creating further division between people with different needs.

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

We know that human error is a major contributor to accidents across all transport modes, especially on the road.

Technology can improve safety outcomes in transport by assisting with tasks or even automating activities. Technology and innovation could also shift behaviour toward more active, or lower emission travel options that were otherwise expensive, unattractive or inaccessible. Examples of such innovations are adaptive technologies for active modes like lighting that improves safety for pedestrians without creating light pollution, or talking bus stops.

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

If poorly managed, technology and innovation could lead to increased sedentary lifestyles or pose risks to other transport system users. It is also not possible to assess every potential safety risk prior to a technology or innovation being tested and incorporated into the transport system and we cannot prepare for every eventuality. The way that people end up using a technology or innovation may be different to the initial intention and potentially unsafe.

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

We can improve our transport system by providing technological and innovative solutions that are cleaner and more efficient than existing options and that encourage the use of lower emission transport options.

Beyond improving the environmental sustainability for the way people travel, transport innovation could also shape safe spaces for other species through innovation such as reducing light and noise pollution around streets or creating wildlife crossings.

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

Regardless of the environmental sustainability of a product or innovation itself, how we use it can be just as, if not more detrimentally impactful than existing alternatives. For example, increasing evidence shows that when people switch to electric vehicles (EVs) they drive more. While the vehicles are environmentally superior to internal combustion engines in many ways they can still impact local air pollution (from particulates in brake, tyre and road wear) and require paved surfaces or generate more sprawl. If the full life-cycle of a transport product or concept is not carefully assessed it may create undesirable waste, behaviour or pressures on the system and natural environment.

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

Huge amounts of data are already being gathered or have the potential to be gathered and tapped into as a resource to improve the resilience and security of our transport system. The right technology and innovation can help us gather and access useful, real-time information such as road conditions, and how people interact with their environment to help improve the streets where we live. In the future, some technologies (such as drones) could play an important role getting essential goods into a community where roading connections have been severed (e.g. due to an earthquake). 

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

An increase in the number of digitally connected devices and technologies in the transport system can open the door to new threats and risks. The ongoing digital transition requires an increasing focus on having the right safeguards in place, otherwise we might have widespread outages or disruption to the system. The potential repercussions will only become greater the more we rely on data and infrastructure.

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

Technology and innovation can lead directly to new economic opportunities, job creation, and lift productivity throughout the economy.

The benefits may also have a flow-on effect throughout the economy, as any operation, person, or business can enjoy speedier, safer, and potentially cheaper access to the transport system.

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

The development of transport technologies and innovation is currently tending towards the automation of tasks that are otherwise expensive, inefficient, or dangerous leading to the displacement of workers. If the newly displaced workers do not have the right skillset, or opportunity for retraining to transition into these newer transport roles then they are left in an economically vulnerable position.

In some cases, the cost of developing and deploying new technologies may be beyond small and medium-sized enterprises, meaning that the benefits of innovation are restricted to larger players.

How might technology and innovation support this outcome?

Technology and innovation can help us make great strides in wellbeing and liveability by providing a greater variety of options, or improving our existing system to cater to a wider range of needs.

How might technology and innovation undermine this outcome?

If advancements in technology and innovation are not evenly distributed or carefully managed, then they may only exacerbate existing issues and inequities.