Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Governing Transport in the Algorithmic Age

Algorithmic Governance in Transport

This study explores where automated decision-making systems impact transport activity, and how. More and more transport activity is influenced by algorithms. Automated decision-making is taking a hold in areas from health care and housing to media and mobility. In transport, algorithms are a core feature for services from public transport scheduling to routing apps, bicycle sharing to self-driving technology, parcel delivery to the dispatching of ride services. How can policy makers ensure mobility driven by algorithmic code supports societal objectives?

Policy Insights

  • Make transport policy algorithm-ready and transport policy makers algorithmically-literate.
  • Ensure that oversight and control of algorithms is proportional to impacts and risks.
  • Build in algorithmic auditability by default into potentially impactful algorithms.
  • Convert analogue regulations into machine-readable code for use by algorithmic systems.
  • Use algorithmic systems to regulate more dynamically and efficiently.
  • Compare the performance of algorithmic systems with that of human decision-making.
  • Algorithmic assessment should go beyond transparency and explainability.
  • Establish robust regulatory frameworks that ensure accountability for decisions taken by algorithms.
  • Establish clear guidelines and regulatory action to assess the impact of algorithmic decision-making.
  • Adapt how regulation is made to reflect the speed and uncertainty around algorithmic system deployment.

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