Federal regulators to consider policy on automated buses, trucks

Federal regulators are taking the first step toward creating a policy guiding the development of autonomous transportation beyond self-driving cars to include trucks, buses and other ground-based modes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will soon publish four requests for public comment on how to cast aside roadblocks for transportation advancements in vehicles, trains, buses, commercial trucking and transit systems, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Wednesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked for comment on "unnecessary regulatory barriers" for self-driving vehicles and how their safety should be tested and certified. The Federal Transit Administration is looking for feedback on two fronts related to automated buses, and the Federal Highway Administration will seek public input on how driverless transportation modes should be accommodated on U.S. highways.

The comments will be used to develop the third iteration of the department’s Federal Automated Vehicle Policy, which Chao said would be released this summer. The current version, released in September, relates only to autonomous automobiles, not buses, trains or other forms of surface transportation.

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Source: Bloomberg