--- title: driverless car | .id blog description: Will the driverless car spell the end of public transport? image: https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/end-of-public-transport.jpg --- [![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png) ![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png)](https://home.id.com.au) - Services - [Services for Local Government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Services for Industry](https://home.id.com.au/industry-services) - [Resources](https://home.id.com.au/demographic-resources) - [Case studies](https://home.id.com.au/case-studies) - [Blog](https://blog.id.com.au/) - [About](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet our team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Contact](https://home.id.com.au/contact-us) [BY INDUSTRY](https://home.id.com.au/#industry-services) - [Local government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Financial services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/financial-services) - [Utilities](https://home.id.com.au/industries/utilities) - [Education](https://home.id.com.au/industries/education) - [Retail](https://home.id.com.au/industries/retail) - [Emergency services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/emergency-services) [BY EXPERTISE](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#streams) - [Consulting](https://home.id.com.au/consulting-services/local-government) - [Demographics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/demographics) - [Forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/) - [Economics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/economics) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) [DIGITAL PLATFORM](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#platform) - [profile.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-profile) - [atlas.id](https://home.id.com.au/social-atlas) - [forecast.id](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/forecast.id) - [economy.id](https://home.id.com.au/economic-profile) - [housing.id](https://home.id.com.au/housing-monitor) - [views.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet the team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Referencing .id as a source](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/referencing-and-sources) #### [BLOG](https://blog.id.com.au) # The driverless car - the end of public transport? - [Population](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population) - [Demographic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/demographic-analysis) - [Local area analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/local-area-analysis) - [Population trends](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-trends) - [Australian census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/australian-census) - [New Zealand population and census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) - [Population forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-forecasting) - [Economic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/economic-analysis) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/community-views) - [.id news](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/-id-news) - [Fun stuff](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/fun-stuff) - [Online tools](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/online-tools) - [Community profiles](https://content.id.com.au/community-profiles-australia) - [Social atlas](https://content.id.com.au/social-atlases-australia) - [Population forecasts](https://content.id.com.au/population-forecast-australia) - [Economic profiles](https://content.id.com.au/economic-profiles-australia) - [Housing monitors](https://housing.id.com.au/) - [Community views](https://views.id.com.au/local_governments) - [How to](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/how-to) - [Features and updates](https://home.id.com.au/new-data-and-features) ## The driverless car - the end of public transport? [Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts](https://blog.id.com.au/author/jim-ideas-observations-and-handy-shortcuts) 07 Feb, 2014 I was reading today about the latest Ford Kuga – full of all the latest technical wizardry such as adaptive cruise control, active city stop, lane guidance, blind spot indicators, reverse park assist, as well as ABS, stability control and all the other usual fruit. “It almost drives itself” I thought. But then I realised, it probably could drive itself, and will, with very little further development. [![end-of-public-transport](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/end-of-public-transport.jpg?width=300&height=200&name=end-of-public-transport.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/end-of-public-transport.jpg) We have already seen the Google driverless cars, which have been operating for over 500,000km without incident. And last year, Volvo released a [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMO9PZ-NTAc) of a development vehicle that parks itself – not just reverse park assist, I mean a car that drops you off at the Cinema and then goes to looks for a vacant space. When the movie finishes you call the car on your phone and it comes to pick you up. This is part of Volvo’s “vision 2020” which includes development of autonomous vehicles as a way of increasing safety. In fact, their vision is that by 2020, there will be no serious accidents or fatalities anywhere in the world in a Volvo car. I’m not sure if that includes the old Volvos, with human drivers, that will still be around by then…! So where is all this heading? Well clearly we are very close to having driverless cars on our roads. Many commentators have already discussed the potential impacts for increased density, and safety, on our roads. (as driverless cars will be able to drive more closely, without risk of accident) And will all this technology herald the end of speeding (and speeding fines)? Already cars are being tested with vision systems that can read standardised speed limit signs in Europe and react accordingly. That is, they will go only as fast as the local speed limit will allow. I thought this day would come…George Orwell warned us… But what does it mean for public transport? In many cities across the world plans are being considered for PRT systems (Personal Rapid Transit) – kind of like the “pod cars” seen in many science fiction movies. One such system is the [ULTra PRT](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epiiPy9kAho) system already installed at London’s Heathrow Airport. (and actually not too far removed from Walt Disney’s “Wedway” system proposed for Epcot, a version of which became the “Peoplemover” at Disneyland and Disney World) Some of these, like Heathrow’s, are planned to run on rails or at least dedicated roadways, but already some are being considered to merge with local traffic. The City of Milton Keynes in the UK plans to begin operation of such a [system](http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/milton-keynes-introducing-driverless-public-transport-pods-by-2017-8925119.html) by 2017. But in the longer term, do you really need a “pod car” when a normal car will feature autonomous driving anyway? Why get into a dedicated pod vehicle when you could also use a driverless rental vehicle for the trip across town? Or will the vehicle manufacturers get in on the act and start making pod-like vehicles? Furthermore, if you can catch a small, fuel efficient, personal vehicle anytime you like – do you really need the local bus? These systems are now on our doorstep and will change the way we drive and interact with our environment forever. Change is certainly in the air… Tell us what you think about this, and the implications for your Council area, in the comments below… [![logo\_thepopex (2)](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/logo_thepopex%20(2).png?width=159&height=71&name=logo_thepopex%20(2).png)](https://home.id.com.au)   Tags: [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) ##### Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts Jim has been a member of the .id team since early 2010, following 10 years as a Director in local government and prior to that, many years at IBM. Jim is also a former .id client and recognised the value of .id’s tools in council decision making. He decided to join .id to help spread the word! He manages .id’s local government clients in Queensland and South Australia, helping them to use .id’s tools for informed strategy and policy decisions. Outside work, Jim enjoys learning Spanish, travel (especially to Spanish speaking locales) and collects the odd car or two… Previous Story [The end of urban infill?](https://blog.id.com.au/2014/population-forecasting/the-end-of-urban-infill) Next Story [Three growth markets in Australia you need to...](https://blog.id.com.au/2014/population/population-trends/three-growth-markets-in-australia-you-need-to-know-about) ### Related Posts [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/martin-david-4415uJ8nxAs-unsplash.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) 19 July, 2024 [What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%2c%201992%20to%202020-2022.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) 16 Nov, 2023 [Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Life-expectancy-at-birth-1990-to-2018-2020.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) 08 Nov, 2021 [Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) ### Leave a Reply [Next Story Three growth markets in Australia you need to know about](https://blog.id.com.au/2014/population/population-trends/three-growth-markets-in-australia-you-need-to-know-about) [Previous Story The end of urban infill?](https://blog.id.com.au/2014/population-forecasting/the-end-of-urban-infill) ###### Other Resources [![Visit the demographic resource centre](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d) [![Living in place - Things to consider when surveying communities](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c) [![Living in place - learnings and applications](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9) [![New Call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0) ![AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274.webp) In the spirit of reconciliation .id acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. 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