With Victoria growing and changing more rapidly than at any point in its history, understanding changing patterns of movement is critical to meeting future transport demand.

The 17 million trips across all forms of transport a day in Melbourne could be more than 30 million a day by 2050. Transport for Victoria is driving our transport future, making sure the whole network is connected properly, and in the right order, to provide the widest possible benefits.

Getting the balance right in managing demand, making the most of existing assets, taking up new technologies and planning for major infrastructure, requires thinking of transport as one system, not individual projects or modes. There is an opportunity to contribute your opinions, ideas and feedback on a whole range of projects and proposals and get involved in shaping transport across the State.

Victoria leads the way with on-road testing underway in an Australian-first trial cutting-edge connected vehicle technology trials will soon hit Victorian roads as part of VicRoads’ Connected and Automated Vehicle Trial Grants Program read more about cutting-edge connected vehicle technology.

VicRoads chief executive Robyn Seymour said: “Connected and automated vehicles will play a huge part in reducing lives lost and serious injuries on our roads – that’s why we’re getting ready to implement this technology to start making a big impact on our roads.”[i]

Transport innovation MaaS 

There’s much discussion these days about once-in-a-generation change; digital disruption, major demographic and societal shifts, and mega-projects offering improvements unimagined by our grandparents or sometimes even parents. Intelligent Transport Systems delivering safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable transport solutions.

ITS Australia is leading the discussion around transport innovation like ‘Mobility as a Service’ or MaaS offers the potential to drastically improve customer choices, reduce travel costs, increase network capacity and transport sustainability while improving social and environmental outcomes.

ITS Mobility as a Service report offers an evidence base to help prepare for the major changes anticipated in a way that cleverly builds on existing assets and delivers user-centric services that match the increasing expectations of customers. Read their MaaS report here. Or attend the 7th Australian Intelligent Transport Systems Summit 2019 on 28-29 August at MCEC. ITS2019 is a feature event of DIF2019.

Uber-Air to take off downunder

As Australia’s leading tech city, Melbourne has a strong history of leading and embracing innovation and is home to some of the world’s top universities and research and development centres, as well as leading tech companies such as Alibaba, Square, Eventbrite and Zendesk. 

Melbourne will become the first city outside the United States to trial Uber’s aerial ridesharing service. Melbourne was selected after a rigorous 18-month global search that included cities around the world such as Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Sydney and Mumbai.

Uber Air is an aerial ridesharing service being developed by Uber, which will use small, environmentally-friendly electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commuter travel in cities across the world. Read more or watch a video and see what the future holds.

Uber’s general manager for Australia, New Zealand and North Asia, Susan Anderson, said “Australian governments have adopted a forward-looking approach to ridesharing and future transport technology,” Anderson said in a statement. “This, coupled with Melbourne’s unique demographic and geospatial factors … makes Melbourne the perfect third launch city for Uber Air.[ii]

Research Collaboration

The collection and availability of data, emerging technology in vehicles and logistics, and the blue-sky opportunities afforded by connectivity could allow 21st Century Australia to find new and better ways to move people and goods around the country, and to the world. Melbourne is home to iMOVE, the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) set up to take Australia to these new roads.

iMOVE is a consortium of 44 industry, government, and research partners engaged in a concerted 10-year effort to improve Australia’s transport systems through collaborative R&D projects. It will help companies — and Australia — be more competitive, productive, and prosperous.

Gary Liddle has had a long and illustrious career in transport, with a focus on Melbourne, but also on the national stage with his time as a Director at Roads Australia, Chair at Austroads, and now on the board at iMOVE. After more than 40 years at VicRoads, Gary is now the Enterprise Professor, Transport, at the University of Melbourne. Find out how $2 got him started in his career, and his thoughts how best to take on and beat congestion here.

Supporting Industry Growth

As Australia’s transportation industry moves into a new and connected era, Victoria is well placed to unlock the potential from automated and electrified mobility.

The Victorian Government supports local companies that are working towards a connected future and presents this summit with some of the brightest minds in the industry.  These companies seek to challenge the status quo to enable the progression of electrified and automated vehicle technology here and abroad.

The Future of Mobility summit on 27 August is led by the South East Victorian Government Business Office who have created an experiential afternoon offering insights into the exciting future of mobility. The inaugural summit brings together Australian automotive leaders Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Volgren and newer entrants Applied Electric Vehicles, SEA Electric and Stealth Electric Bikes.

Bosch and the Future of Mobility

Bosch is a global giant in vehicle technology and believes the future of mobility is Connected Automated Electrified and Multimodal. Founded in Stuttgart in 1886, Bosch’s operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. Bosch has had a presence in Australia since 1907 and opened its new headquarters and technical centre at Clayton in Victoria.

As a leading global supplier of technology for mobility providers around the world, Bosch is at the forefront of automated driving technology, having registered more patents than any other company.

In Australia, Bosch has developed their own highly automated driving development vehicle that is being used to demonstrate and inform governments and regulators on what to expect when these vehicles come to market. In addition, the local engineering team is developing connectivity solutions such as Perfectly Keyless, a project to eliminate car keys and replace them with smart phones.

Watch this short video to see Bosch’s automated work in action and attend the Future of Mobility Summit on 27 August at the Robert Bosch Innovation Centre in Clayton.

People who make the DIF