We are excited to announce our 39th Annual Conference of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) is coming to Las Vegas, Nevada, from September 14th through September 17th, 2026. The theme of our 2026 conference is “AV City: Autonomous Mobility,” reflecting the rapid evolution of automated, connected, and electrified transportation systems and the critical role regulators play in shaping their future.

Las Vegas has always been a city built on bold vision and transformative infrastructure. What began as a desert rail stop evolved into a global tourism and convention capital supported by sophisticated airport operations, intelligent traffic systems, and large-scale event management logistics. Today, Las Vegas stands at the forefront of autonomous mobility. Nevada was the first state in the nation to authorize autonomous vehicle testing, and the region has become a national hub for robotaxi deployment, advanced driver assistance systems, and smart transportation investments.

Like the city itself, mobility in Las Vegas is fast-moving, innovative, and ambitious. However, innovation without governance is incomplete. As shared connected automated electric vehicles scale from pilot programs to broader deployment, regulators face complex and urgent questions involving safety oversight, insurance frameworks, accessibility mandates, workforce transition, fare affordability, sustainability goals, and public trust. These are not theoretical discussions. They are unfolding in real time across jurisdictions around the world.

Some of the topics that we will cover during the conference will include:

• IATR’s Guiding Principles for Robotaxi Testing & Deployment
• Autonomous Vehicle Policy Challenges & Solutions
• The Taxi, For-Hire & Bus Insurance Crisis
• Public Transit Partnerships with Taxis, FHVs and TNCs
• Regulatory Preparedness for Big Events

We are also looking forward to our annual International Regulator “Star Trek”. The full preliminary agenda can be found here.

Registration is now open for active members and associate/industry first-time attendees here. Non-members and other associate/industry partners should reach out to IATR Executive Director Kim Ramkishun or IATR Membership Director Eric Richardson for further information. Sponsorships are also now available, and you can find the sponsorship menu here.

We hope you can join us in Las Vegas in September!

Image: NBC

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Tuesday approved a hike in fees that taxi and rideshare companies pay for access to Los Angeles International Airport.

The board voted unanimously to increase the $4 fee to $6 for all companies providing passenger pick-ups and drop-offs at the airport, either within the terminal area or at the LAX-It lot. The fee is expected to increase to $12 for pickups or drop-offs within the central terminal area.

The increase won't go into effect until SkyLink -- aka the LAX people mover -- begins operation either later this year or in 2027. The aim is to ease traffic in the horseshoe-shaped central terminal area and encourage people to use the SkyLink system.

The SkyLink project has faced several delays.

Companies like Uber and Lyft pay a roughly $4 fee to pick up or drop off passengers at LAX. Taxi companies pay $4 to pick up passengers, while limousines and similar services pay $5. Taxis and limos do not pay any fees for passenger drop-offs. Such fees are often passed on to passengers.

Courtney Moore, who heads LAX Revenue and Experience, said the hike would eventually generate $100 million in revenue.

"We would be disappointed if the rideshare companies pass that along to the riders or the driver," Moore said.

Uber said in a statement that the hike would "punish travelers, working families and seniors who depend on affordable, reliable transportation," adding that while it supports improvements at LAX, it should not come "on the backs of the people who keep it running."

Source: NBC Los Angeles

Click Here to Read More

Global Entry Program Restored As DHS Shutdown Continues

The Global Entry travel program has been restored, the Trump administration said Wednesday, after it was paused in February amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. A DHS spokesperson said that Global Entry was reactivated as of 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

Click Here to Read More

Virginia Lawmakers Explore Autonomous Technology for Transportation

Highway work crews are often at risk of injury or worse from passing vehicles, leading state and federal agencies to install crash-absorbing devices that mitigate impacts on guardrails, construction vehicles and work zones to enhance safety. However, safety devices called truck-mounted attenuators (TMAs) have not been as effective. The portable barriers are affixed to the rear of work trucks and are designed to blunt the impact of crashes and protect workers. Over the past four years, there have been an average of 77 strikes on non-automated truck-mounted attenuators in Virginia, and more than 50 operator injuries since 2020, according to state lawmakers. Now, the state is considering using autonomous technology to improve roadside safety in work zones and to explore future commercial use opportunities. 

Click Here to Read More

Transportation Panel Votes Down Electronic Driver’s Licenses and State IDs

Your smartphone can probably do a lot of cool things, but one thing it can’t do is hold your state driver’s license or identification ID card. Those still need to be presented in plastic form.

For now. Sponsored by Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee), HF1335 would authorize electronic versions of driver’s licenses and Minnesota identification cards. On Monday, the panel that Tabke co-chairs – the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee – discussed the bill, as amended and amended again, before it ultimately failed on a voice vote.

Click Here to Read More

With Limited Transit Options, Off-Island Montreal Car Owners Cry Foul over Registration Hike

It’s been one year since car owners in the greater Montreal area had their fees shoot up on their annual vehicle registration bill — and those on the outskirts of the city say enough is enough. In 2024, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which represents about 80 Montreal-area municipalities, voted in favour of a tax hike on vehicle registrations to help fund public transit. The tax went from $59 to $150. With an existing $30 contribution, that totals $180 for public transit fees on affected owners' bills.

Click Here to Read More

Transportation and Manufacturing Officials Host Conference amid Economic Challenges

Leaders in transportation and manufacturing from both sides of the border met in Plattsburgh for the Quebec-New York Transportation Rendezvous. The goal was to discuss new business opportunities and how industries can adapt to rising costs and inflation. The conference is designed to strengthen economic ties between the two regions.

Click Here to Read More

Calgary Mayor Seeks New Funding Framework for Low-Income Transit Pass

Calgary’s mayor says it’s a benefit to the community — but the constant conversation surrounding the city’s low-income transit pass causes too much uncertainty.  Jeromy Farkas says he’s written a letter to the Alberta government, hoping to figure out a new way to fund the program. The low-income transit pass program uses a sliding scale system that assigns a purchase price based on income. The less an applicant earns, the less they will need to pay.

Click Here to Read More

How Ground Transportation Data is Driving Decision-Making Across Organisations

Business travel has never been under greater scrutiny. Cost control remains a constant pressure, of course, but today’s travel managers are also expected to report to multiple internal stakeholders and support everything from sustainability goals and duty of care responsibilities to legal compliance and employee productivity. These stakeholders—including procurement, finance, legal, IT and HR—all have their own KPIs and reporting requirements. To meet these demands, and provide staff with more effective, efficient, and safer transport solutions, travel managers will require suppliers to make crucial data more visible.

Click Here to Read More

Are Taxi Drivers Respected the Same Way Today As They Were at the Turn of the Millennium?

For decades taxi drivers have played a critical role in keeping towns and cities moving, providing transport for millions of people working across sectors from retail and hospitality to corporate offices. Operating around the clock, licensed taxi drivers form part of the transport network relied upon when public transport is unavailable or impractical.

Click Here to Read More

LimePrime Launches in UK to Rival Public Transport Costs

North American shared micromobility operator Lime has launched its monthly subscription model across several UK markets. The ‘LimePrime’ subscription offers users flat-rate rides of up to 20 minutes for a monthly fee, with pricing varying by city. The service is rolling out in London, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Manchester and Nottingham.

Click Here to Read More

Johor Proposes 12 ‘Key’ Drop-Off Points for Singapore Cross-Border Taxis, May Require Tracking System

The Johor state government has proposed 12 “key” locations where Singapore cross-border taxis could drop off passengers, as authorities consider requiring these vehicles to be installed with a location tracking system.  The proposed drop-off points include Senai International Airport, JB Sentral, Medini, Southkey, Mount Austin and Eco Botanic, according to Johor’s Works, Transportation and Infrastructure committee chairman and state executive councillor Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh.

Click Here to Read More

Seoul City to Support 'Pedal Black Box Program' for Elderly Taxi Drivers with 400 Units

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on March 9 that it will promote a subsidy program to support the installation of pedal black boxes for elderly taxi drivers. This initiative comes in response to the recent surge in suspected sudden acceleration and pedal misoperation accidents involving older taxi drivers. The purpose of the program is to swiftly analyze the causes of traffic accidents using pedal black box footage, clarify the facts, and thereby reduce complaints and disputes. The pedal black box combines pedal operation patterns, driving footage, and speed changes to establish the facts of a traffic accident, and can be used as evidence in insurance, administrative, and judicial proceedings.

Click Here to Read More

South Africa: Bolt Begins Issuing Affiliation Letters to Drivers As E-Hailing Licence Deadline Approaches

Popular e-hailing platform Bolt says it has started issuing affiliation letters to driver-partners following its recent registration with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR). This comes after drivers had expressed concern that they were unable to obtain the necessary documents to apply for operating licences, which are required under South Africa’s updated e-hailing regulations.The rules also require drivers to ensure their vehicles are properly licensed, branded, and equipped with safety features such as panic buttons, in line with the National Land Transport Amendment Act. The compliance period is set to end on 12 March 2026.

Click Here to Read More

Image: Tech Crunch

Electrically powered air taxis will start taking to the skies in some states and cities across the US, including in New York, after the government approved several pilot projects under a program meant to accelerate their integration into the US airspace.

The US Transportation Department said Monday that it selected eight proposals under the so-called advanced air mobility and electric vertical takeoff and landing integration pilot program, which was first outlined in an executive order released by President Donald Trump last year. The government received more than 30 proposals, it said.

The selected projects will span more than two dozen states, the department said in a statement shared with Bloomberg. They include a partnership between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and companies Joby Aviation Inc., Archer Aviation Inc., BETA Technologies Inc., and Electra.aero Inc. That project will explore several different operational concepts, including air taxi passenger operations at the Manhattan heliport.

“This is the clearest sign yet from the White House, the FAA and the DOT that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority,” Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and chief executive officer, said in an emailed statement.

Joby shares rose as much as 8.4% in US postmarket trading while Archer gained 2.2%.

Proposals from the Texas Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Department of Transportation were also among those chosen.

Startups including Joby and Archer have been working with regulators to get the required approvals to start commercial operations. The pilot program allows them, and other makers of next-generation aircraft, to partner with state and local governments to try out their concepts in real-world settings prior to Federal Aviation Administration certification.

The government has said it’ll take lessons learned from these trial runs to better inform its regulation of the emerging industry

Source: Bloomberg

Click Here to Read More

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026:

Weekly news snippets

Access to the membership database

Videos and files from recent conferences

Discounted rates for future conferences, and more!

Renew your membership at http://www.iatr.global or email info@iatr.global for any questions!