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MASS TRANSPORT
roads without having to build new
infrastructure, which is increasingly
impossible due either to available
space or to the limited financing
capability of states.
There is therefore a lot of thinking
among car manufacturers on how
to handle this transition. In the same
time, public transport companies
already offer a mobility service trying to
cope with existing transport solutions,
mainly train and buses, even though
these systems were not design to solve
today’s problems.
The emergence of autonomous
cars, shuttles or busses generates new
opportunities in this field for both
public transportation companies and
the manufacturers of such system.
This may lead to a competition
between private and public interest
and will generate an interesting In the city of Fribourg (Switzerland), The following points can be
debate between society, private and a large-scale transdisciplinary program considered to achieve a sustainable
public administration interests. At has been started to experiment transport system:
automated shuttles, analyse their
the core of the debate should be the performances, define implantation 1. The necessity to innovate, define and
systemic view of the function and criteria and functional requirements create new systems to propose new
the evaluation of its sustainability. and to analyse their safety. The transport offer that meet sustainable
But not only the function associated local public transport company TPF goals.
with these road transport services, (Transports publics fribourgeois) has
also their integration in the whole teamed with MIC (Marly Innovation 2. The necessity to place safety at the
mobility services and how people Center) to connect this innovation core of these developments and
will interact with it. How the user center to the station of a bus main their implantation.
will express his need ? : “I need a line nearby. Since 2017, it is the first 3. The requirement to have a global
car to go from this door to this door automated shuttle in Switzerland that information system linking mobility
at this time” or “I need to go from is operated according to a timetable services to provide a solution by
this door to this door at this time”. as an extension to the public transport combining appropriate ones for
The second question allows to chain network. The interdisciplinary work
different mobility services to provide combines private companies involved in a defined need. The system must
the best compromise in terms of cost, the project and academic institutions: be independent of technological
performance and sustainability. The University of Fribourg, HEIA (School of solutions used for transport.
first question limits the sustainable engineering and architecture, member 4. The necessity to work into
optimization to what a system, that of the University of applied sciences interdisciplinary team to handle the
will be obsolete one day, can offer. Western Switzerland) and ROSAS complexity of the development and
Autonomous vehicles also need a (Robust and safe systems competence implantation of innovations.
societal acceptance with a juridical center). The outcome is a global view We arrive at a very interesting point
framework to handle its development on the system and a coordination of
and application. The key for it is the the actions to put in place such an in the history of transportation where
safety analysis, which must be at innovative systems and to ensure that working and innovating together can
the core of the development of the the operation will be successful and make us change transportation as it
system and also at the core of its sustainable. New processes are defined exists today into a more efficient and
implantation. and set to handle this new situation. sustainable one.
www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com December ’17 - January ’18 / TrafficInfraTech 57

