FIA Conference 2019 in South Africa offers a platform to test autonomous vehicle technologies on the African continent

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30.04.19

Yesterday, in Sun City, South Africa, FIA President Jean Todt, South Africa’s Minister of Transport Dr. Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande, and Chairman of the Automobile Association of South Africa Sikkie Kajee, inaugurated the Navya Electric Autonomous Shuttle that will allow delegates attending the FIA Conference 2019 to commute between the different venues of the event during the whole week.

Autonomous transport technologies have the potential to change the act of driving and the perception of mobility. The FIA has long acknowledged the benefits these could bring to revolutionise transport systems, making them cleaner, safer, and more accessible, especially in urban areas.

By proposing the Navya Electric Autonomous Shuttle service to the attendees of the FIA Conference 2019, the Federation asserts its commitment to accompany its Member Clubs, and all road users, in the journey towards the adoption of driverless vehicles. The launch event was the occasion to highlight the opportunities and challenges of these innovations, the necessity to develop and monitor independent trials in real conditions to build user confidence, and the regulatory changes required for these new vehicles to safely transition to the road.

This demonstration in South Africa is one of the first trials on the African continent where the road mortality rate is almost 50 percent higher than the world average, and 85 to 95 percent of the fleet is made of used vehicles. FIA President Jean Todt welcomed the initiative and encouraged authorities to adopt strategies for automation to address these mobility challenges. “Autonomous transport can have an important impact in tackling some of the pressing issues that local and regional authorities are facing, particularly in the areas of road safety, congestion and air quality. While there is much potential behind this new technology, understanding the effect it will have, and how it can be best deployed, is an important step to ensure informed and appropriate decisions are taken. I am pleased to see that the FIA Conference offers an interesting opportunity for South African authorities to test automated transport technologies and identify potential use cases for their cities, in line with sustainable urban mobility objectives”, he said.

Chairman of the Automobile Association of South Africa, Sikkie Kajee, shared the Association’s perspective on vehicle automation as being one of the most disruptive trends transforming modern transportation systems. “The world of mobility is fast changing, with technologies evolving at a rapid pace. As South Africa’s leading consumer mobility organisation dedicated to meeting the needs of all road users – not only motorists – we are extremely excited to be part of the demonstration of the first autonomous, commercially available, electric vehicle in Africa. It is exactly this type of technology we believe will in the future contribute to affordable, reliable public transport across the continent, which is essential for sustained and meaningful economic growth.”