{"id":42970,"date":"2018-01-18T10:26:27","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T15:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=42970"},"modified":"2018-01-18T10:26:27","modified_gmt":"2018-01-18T15:26:27","slug":"secretary-chao-pushes-for-autonomous-buses-trains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/secretary-chao-pushes-for-autonomous-buses-trains\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary Chao pushes for autonomous buses, trains","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said at CES, an annual technology show in Las Vegas, that she plans to take steps toward creating policy guiding the development of self-driving transportation for trucks, buses, transit systems and trains. One of the steps that Chao plans to take toward creating this new policy is to deregulate these industries.
\n\u201cI also want to take this opportunity to announce that the Department (DOT) will be seeking public input from across the transportation industry to identify existing barriers to innovation. This includes not only barriers that impact vehicles, but also impediments to innovations that can impact our highways, railroads, trains and motor carriers,\u201d Chao said.
\nIn response to Chao\u2019s announcement, SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch wrote in an email, \u201cThis rush to autonomous vehicles of all kinds should worry all transportation workers.
\n“We have been working with Congress to limit legislation on self-driving vehicles to automobiles and to not include buses and trucks. So far our efforts on that front have been successful,\u201d Risch said. \u201cWe will continue to work on this issue, but the times they are a-changing.\u201d
\nAs part of Chao\u2019s efforts to deregulate the transportation industry, notices for public comment have appeared in the Federal Register on behalf of DOT\u2019s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
\nFHWA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n