Urban Sustainability in the Face of Emerging Autonomous Transport and Delivery Systems: Public Support for Potential Government Policies

Intersecting advances in autonomous vehicle (AV) and home delivery technologies have substantial implications for city planning, traffic congestion, and population health. Understanding public preferences for how these new technologies should be regulated is essential for developing effective policy responses that are aligned with community priorities. This study examined public support for 20 government policies that could be used to govern AV-based transport and delivery systems. In total, 3000 Australian adults completed an online survey that assessed policy support and gathered data on travel behaviours, lifestyle factors, and delivery service use. Overall, respondents expressed moderate to high support for the proposed policies, with a mean score of 3.51 on 5-point scales. The most supported policies were those requiring AV ride-hailing providers to comply with accessibility standards (76% agreement), imposing curfews on drone deliveries (75%), and providing training for workers displaced by automation (75%). Proposed policies aimed at reducing reliance on traditional private vehicles were least strongly supported (range 27–40%). Respondents who used public transport, ride-hailing services, and active transport in a typical week were more supportive of almost all the assessed transport-related policies compared with non-users. These findings provide insights to inform the development of publicly acceptable policies for AV-based transport and delivery systems that intend to promote sustainable urban environments.