Electrification, digitalization & autonomous cars to bring revolution: VP Valeo
The importance of adapting the road systems to climate change and raising more awareness on road safety, were among the key issues discussed on the penultimate day of the 26th World Road Congress Abu Dhabi 2019.
Jean-Luc Di Paola-Galloni, Valeo Group Vice-President, addressing the gathering on the 4th day of the 26th World Road Congress in Abu Dhabi highlighted the role of technology in the transport sector.
"Technology is going to play an integral role and this will change the experience of travelling. However, it will need companies to work together to transform the infrastructure for smart mobility and we have to rethink the design of the systems, as well as parking," said Jean-Luc Di Paola-Galloni. He further added, "A revolution will be brought by electrification, digitalization and autonomous cars,".
Keynote Speech: ‘A revolution will be brought by electrification, digitalization and autonomous cars .’ Jean-Luc Di Paola-Galloni from @Valeo_Group #PIARCWRC2019 pic.twitter.com/BI6CVYqqxr
— PIARC WRC 2019 (@PIARCabudhabi19) October 9, 2019
During the ‘Programs and policies for road safety’ session, the panel discussed that road authorities must take pedestrians’ safety into consideration when building new road projects. The experts revealed from a survey that showed 85 per cent of the roads worldwide where pedestrians are present and traffic flows at 40km per hour or more have no formal footpaths.
In the ‘Design and operations of safer road infrastructure’ session, Mathias Warnhjelm of the Swedish Transport Administration explained that while countries continue to focus on road safety, more training is mandatory to avoid fatalities. He suggested schools should be raising awareness of safety through regular classes while advertising and social media can help send the message across to people. He said: “Educating people on road safety is important but that alone is not enough. Road users must know how to handle driving manoeuvres including sticking to the rules and regulations.”
The progress of climate change adaption and mitigation actions in the transport sector after the Paris Climate agreement was one of the key sessions that took place during the day. Delegates heard from Roberto Aguerrebere of the Mexican Institute of Transportation, who explained that it is vital that countries adapt to climate change sooner rather than later. Roberto identified the UK and Mexico as examples that are taking measures to address the issue and improve their road systems.
He said: “The UK’s Department of Transport has a strategy where all new cars and trucks must be zero-emission by 2040. England’s Road Agency is also taking a number of actions to safeguarding their strategic road network which will protect against flooding. “Mexico has produced a guide on how to deal with emergencies on roads and bridges which is integral for any accidents caused by natural hazards. They are also taking steps to regulate the emissions and fuel efficiency from light and heavy vehicles that will help reduce air pollution.” Roberto also explained that engineers must pay attention to climate change risks when planning new road projects in the future.
“Adapting to climate change to increase the resilience of road networks and road assets is increasingly the first-level task for countries. When we build new roads and projects, climate change risks must be integrated into daily practice in terms of road planning, maintenance and operation," he added.
The importance of adapting the road systems to climate change and raising more awareness on road safety were among the key issues discussed on the penultimate day of the 26th World Road Congress Abu Dhabi 2019. Building on the success of the previous three days, Wednesday’s programme saw the World Road Association (PIARC) the thought-leaders, pioneers and experts gather at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) for another important day of talks. Throughout the day, the decision-makers thought leaders and pioneers of the road and transport sectors shared their expertise on various topics that saw more than 16 sessions and workshops held during the day.
(With inputs from World Road Congress 2019)
For more stories on the 26th World Road Congress, please visit Live Discourse
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