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Regulatory Reform of Ridesharing Apps Commercial transportation apps are popular because of their consistency, availability, and ease of use; apps also provide transparency and accountability and improve allocation of capacity, according to a report from the International Transport Forum (ITF). Reg- ulation of for-hire transportation should become more flexible to allow for innovation, the report notes; in general, oversight favors established providers, both because of market capture and because of the particular characteristics of street hail- ing. The ITF report presents four principles that should guide regulatory reform of for-hire trans- portation: u Set policies to enable innovations that con- tribute to such objectives as equitable access, safety, consumer welfare, and sustainability. u Keep the regulatory framework simple and uniform, and avoid creating categories of providers. u Choose innovative and flexible approaches to regulation, making use of new technologyâauto- mated fare data collection, onboard monitoring, and moreâas well as better data for targeted oversight. u Use data-led regulation to improve benefits for all, offering operators a choice between a light and a more burdensome regulatory regime, in return for sharing data that can be used to create benefits for society at large. To access the full report, visit http://2016.itf- oecd.org/free-publications. TR N EW S 303 M AYâJUN E 2016 49 Work Zone Speed Cameras and Distraction To help enforce speed limits in highway work zones, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) sought out human factors research on whether auto- mated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras contributed to driver distraction. Re searchers from CTC & Asso- ciates conducted a literature review on work zone safe- ty and on the effectiveness of work zone crash coun- termeasures, including ASE. The researchers also used the University of Minnesotaâs HumanFIRST Portable Driving Environment Simulator to replicate work zones on US-169 between Jordan and Belle Plaine. The simulator study included 20 participants from each of three age groupsâ18 to 30, 41 to 53, and 63 to 77 yearsâwho drove the simulated route four times each. Each time, the work zone featured a different form of speed enforcement: police enforce- ment, ASE cameras, and ASE cameras with dynamic speed display signs, as well as a control with no enforcement. Participants were instructed to follow a lead vehicle, with simulated real-world travel speed disruptions. Participants also were given a secondary, voluntary task that involved searching for and press- ing specific buttons on an in-vehicle screen. Glasses that tracked eye movements helped researchers determine how much attention partici- pants paid to various areas of interest, such as the speedometer, workers, or signs. These tests indicated that drivers did not pay too much attention to the distractions. The main differences in driver behavior occurred by age groupâyounger and older drivers exceeded the speed limit most often and varied their speed slightly, depending on the type of enforcement, but drivers in the middle group exhibited the great- est speed control and kept more closely to the speed limit. To access the full report, visit mndot.gov/research/TS/ 2016/201606.pdf. NEWS BRIEFS A work zone along I-95 in Laurel, Maryland, features speed enforcement with cameras. P H O TO : A N D R EW B O SSI, F LIC K R Approaches to for- hire transportation regulations should be innovative, flexible, and simple, according to a European report. P H O TO : U B ER INTERNATIONAL NEWS TRN_303.e$S_TRN_303 7/1/16 11:46 AM Page 49
