Conclusion
This paper has illustrated a way to handle the deep uncertainties surrounding the implementation of an innovative urban transport solution from the perspective of public policymaking. The combination of automated vehicles and technologyenabled taxi operations (i.e., Automated Taxis (ATs)) has great potential to contribute to urban transport policy goals. On the other hand, public policy and decision making is confronted with the existence of large uncertainties related to the implementation of these ATs, which pose barriers to implementation. The challenge for enlightened policymaking is to develop innovative approaches for handling these uncertainties.
The paper has proposed an approach involving a flexible or adaptive policy that allows for adaptations over time as experience and knowledge about the real-world functioning of ATs proceeds. In particular, policymakers are encouraged to first develop a normative view, and then guide the policy development, implementation, and adaptation process based on gathering information that allows for the resolution of the uncertainties over time. The adaptive policy approach was illustrated for a simplified, hypothetical case. We showed how policymakers can cope with uncertainties concerning AT by implementing an adaptive policy, and how such a policy can be adjusted as new information becomes available on its real-world performance. The illustration shows that, compared to traditional policymaking, the adaptive approach is highly promising in terms of handling the range of uncertainties related to AT implementation.
