Banning ‘tiny vehicles’ would deny us smarter ways to get around our cities
Great article by Hussein Dia, Chair of Civil Engineering at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.
The cliff notes:
- Regulators need a sandbox approach, not bans
- Tiny vehicles (not just scooters) can have big impacts on reducing cars for first/last mile
- Learn quickly, respond quickly, gather data
- Low cost of infrastructure, quick change is possible
Rather than making up new rules without evidence, policymakers are using a regulatory sandbox approach. Borrowed from fintech regulation, this approach allows startups to test new technologies for a specified period.
Businesses can learn quickly and respond to problems as they arise. Regulators can collect data to make informed decisions and prioritise interventions.