The National Transport Commission (NTC) Australia has released a new paper that explores how it should regulate land transport in the future and provides information about technology, trends and other factors of change to stimulate discussion on this key issue.

Titled “Land Transport Regulation 2040”, the paper says that the key factors that were used in developing future transport scenarios include automation, shared mobility, data availability and sharing, and consumer demand for convenience and new services.

The foundation paper says that secure, interoperable, trusted telecommunications is a fundamental requirement for some of NTC’s future transport transformations. It highlighted the need for a cross-sectoral approach from government and the private sector to collaboratively develop an appropriate response to bring about the necessary operating environment for data and information in the future.

It noted that technology may open the way for a fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable, transport charging and funding model. However, this will depend on establishing and maintaining certain conditions of stable, trusted, interoperable and secure data communications within transport, and between transport and other service providers. To that end, the paper says that blockchain technology might be an answer to this.

“One mechanism for this, might be the use of blockchain technology”, the paper said.

It explains that the ‘blockchain code’ is a form of digital verification that relies on distributed elements so that no one computer contains all of the information needed to decode or verify any message.

“According to some experts, it is only a matter of time before blockchain technology is used in peer-to-peer and machine-to-machine transactions where high levels of trust and verifiability is required. It could also be used in transport system safety technologies”, the paper added.

According to the NTC, the paper will be used in meetings, workshops and conversations with stakeholders throughout October to early December 2016, which will form the basis of the final report and the advice it will provide to the Transport and Infrastructure Council in May 2017.