Since the advent of digital technology, sandboxes have been used by software developers as a test environment away from ‘live’ online services. The concept is now being adopted by the transportation sector to help us adapt to the exciting new developments in mobility.

What is a regulatory sandbox?

According to gov.uk, a regulatory sandbox is “a defined space where new business models, technologies and policies can be deployed and used in a way that is safe and responsible.” In this scenario, regulators take a leading role to provide guidance, exemptions and regulatory support to innovators.

Regulatory sandboxes have several functions, including:

• Making more effective use of an existing legislative framework
• Reducing the risk of new technologies, enabling their use ahead of any future changes to legislation
• Reducing the regulatory burden placed on innovators
• Helping regulators understand the impact of new technologies
• Creating opportunities to build new capabilities within local and central government to help them understand how new technologies might fit into traditional transport planning and business cases

Sandboxes have already been used in other sectors to support innovation. The Civil Aviation Authority, for example, uses one to enable real-world trials of aviation innovations previously prohibited by regulations. And now ground transport has a sandbox of its own.

Sandboxes and transportation

As part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) new £1.5bn Deeper Devolution Deal announced last month, the WMCA will establish the first transport sandbox in the UK.

The sandbox is aimed at delivering cleaner and safer vehicles plus innovative transport services to the region more quickly, while supporting new jobs and investment. It will create a space to test new transport service opportunities, challenge regulatory barriers and create a secure space to test innovative products and services with private industry.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will use the sandbox to work with government, local authorities, academic partners and the wider industry to:

• Enable new, low-speed, zero-emission and automated vehicle trials, examining operational and regulatory challenges
• Explore the flexibility of current rules and regulations, with a view to allowing more responsive bus service models
• Accelerate the dynamic traffic management and digitisation of street spaces, supporting last-mile logistics and creating safer streets and places

Sandbox benefits

The funding will also allow central government to explore other areas, such as evidence cases for simplified pedestrian crossings and a new, low-speed, zero-emission vehicle (LZEV) category, distinct from cycle and motor vehicle categories.

It’s also hoped that the sandbox will create economic benefits, including more inward investment in the region and accelerated growth in areas such as advanced manufacturing. Boosting private sector confidence to deliver new transport services is another objective, along with discovering how to improve the experience for travellers and transport operators by modernising practices digitally.

The sandbox will also form part of the region’s Local Transport Plan to ensure transport better supports users’ daily lives, as well as creating a legacy for a decarbonised and electrified future.

However, these benefits won’t be confined to the West Midlands, as the sandbox should provide a focal point for engagement with other local authorities and act as a hub for sharing information, training and skills development for transport and highways authorities across the UK.

Do you think sandboxes should be used for in your local area? Share your thoughts on the CIHT Connect members’ discussion board.

Words by Craig Thomas

Do you think sandboxes should be used for in your local area? Share your thoughts on the CIHT Connect members’ discussion board.