The Office of Future Transport Technology is working to ensure that Australia is ready for new road transport technologies. It provides strategic leadership to support the safe deployment of future road transport technologies that improve outcomes for people and businesses.
Our vision is for a safer, more efficient, productive, sustainable and accessible transport system, through deployment and uptake of new road transport technologies in Australia. To achieve this, we are working towards technology readiness in the areas of:
Image
We provide strategic leadership and coordination to enable the safe and legal deployment of future transport technologies to enhance social, environmental and economic well-being for all Australians, through:
- Policy leadership
Australian governments are working together with the National Transport Commission and Austroads to support national approaches to technology deployments and deliver improved outcomes in road safety, road productivity, traffic congestion, transport equity, liveability of communities, journey times, and environmental sustainability. - Regulatory stewardship
We develop and maintain regulatory environments that balance enabling technology deployment with community expectations, including in relation to safety, security, privacy and accessibility. This includes our work with other Australian governments and the National Transport Commission to establish a national framework for regulating the safety of automated vehicles, at their point of entry to the Australian market (‘first supply’) and when they are used on Australian roads (‘in service’), with the aim of having national regulatory arrangements in place by 2026. - Research to support policy development
We invest in research and work to encourage early technology adoption where appropriate. Future road transport technologies will have specific digital and physical infrastructure needs, including connectivity to each other and their environments, and we are working to ensure these technologies can be supported, as they increasingly become commercially available in Australia and integrated into the fleet. - International engagement
We engage in international forums such as the APEC, the International Transport Forum and the United Nations Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety to influence the development of transport policy and ensure our domestic settings are harmonised, so Australians can benefit from the introduction of new transport technologies.
The Office of Future Transport Technology is also monitoring the progress of trials and demonstrations of future road transport technologies taking place across Australia. A list of all trials is available on the Austroads website. Additional information on Automated vehicle trial guidelines is available on the National Transport Commission website.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at OFTT@infrastructure.gov.au .