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Daily Transportation News
January 5, 2026
| | | Submit Your ATS26 Session Ideas and Join the Planning Conversation at TRB! | |
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The Automated Transportation Symposium (ATS) has opened its Call for Proposals for 2026, and is inviting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to submit breakout session ideas by February 7, 2026. ATS breakout sessions, developed by a global network of more than 200 volunteers, are highly interactive, outcomes-focused discussions designed to advance the research, policy, and practice needed to make the promise of automated transportation a reality.
In addition to submitting proposals online, those attending the TRB Annual Meeting in Washington, DC are encouraged to join an in-person breakout workshop planning session on Wednesday, January 14, from 3:00–6:00 PM ET (Room 303, Washington Convention Center). This session is an opportunity to refine ideas, connect with potential co-organizers, and help shape high-impact ATS26 breakout workshops built around meaningful dialogue, global expertise, and clear, actionable outcomes.
Proposals are evaluated based on whether they:
- Address a timely, broadly relevant topic for the 2026 automated transportation landscape
- Are clearly defined, with a compelling description of how participants will spend their time
- Prioritize interaction, collaboration, and shared problem-solving over panel-style presentations
- Leverage the global, cross-sector expertise of attendees
- Articulate clear outcomes or takeaways that advance research, policy, or practice
Click Here to Submit a Proposal
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| Local Taxi Operators Block Foreign Taxi Fleet | |
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The push to modernize public transport often creates a collision between global environmental goals and local economic survival. In Metro Cebu, the arrival of electric vehicles (EVs) has sparked a fundamental question: Can a city embrace a high-tech, “green” future without leaving its long-standing local operators behind?
The tension in Cebu isn’t about whether to adopt EVs — everyone seems to agree they are the future — but rather about who gets to drive that future. On Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, Metro Cebu’s taxi industry reached a critical juncture. Local operators, represented by the United Cebu Taxi Operators Association (Uctoa), expressed their readiness to buy their own electric taxis, even as the planned rollout of 600 EV units by the Vietnam-based firm Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) remained suspended.
The Provincial Government, led by Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, helped in the halting of GSM’s launch (originally set for Dec. 19, 2025) following an opposition appeal from local players. The debate has now shifted from a simple business expansion to a fight over fairness, licensing and Metro Cebu’s overall transport roadmap.
Cebu is currently grappling with massive economic stakes. According to a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), traffic congestion in Metro Cebu results in approximately P1.1 billion in daily economic losses. While 60 percent of the population relies on public transport, these commuters are squeezed into only 10 percent of the total vehicles on the road. The entry of a massive new fleet promises more rides but threatens to clog the already saturated streets of the metro area.
For the average Cebuano commuter, more taxis could mean shorter wait times and cleaner air. However, for the local taxi industry, the “sudden” entry of a foreign-backed fleet feels like an existential threat.
Source: SunStar
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| Long-Awaited E-Hailing Service Set to Launch in Macau | |
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The Macao SAR Government recently confirmed it would “push forward research on e-hailing taxi services, expedite the process of amending relevant regulations and establish a standardized regulatory framework.” This signifies that “e-hailing” taxis may be incorporated into the legal system, forming a new coexistence model with traditional taxis.
Tam Vai Man, Secretary for Transport and Public Works, further revealed at a Legislative Assembly meeting in November that the government plans to add 800 more taxis next year and launch e-hailing services simultaneously.
“At present, the government is conducting a consultation on the revision of taxi regulations,” Tam said. “After the consultation is completed, we will strive to formally initiate the legislative amendment process next year, creating favorable conditions for the introduction of e-hailing taxis.”
This policy trend has attracted widespread attention from the industry. Raymond Leng Sai Vai, Chairman of the Associação dos Comerciantes e Operários de Automóveis de Macau, who has long paid close attention to the operation of Macau’s taxi industry, pointed out that the launch of e-hailing will help ease the tight supply of local taxis in Macau. He stated that 100 radio taxis in Macau have withdrawn from the market due to expired licenses, coupled with a decline in the proportion of residents using traditional telephone-based taxi-booking services.
Source: Inside Asian Gaming
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Mayor Mamdani Talks to Queens Bus Riders About Plans for Free Service
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving full speed ahead with his plans for free bus service. On Sunday night he hit the point home by riding the Q70 bus and talking to other riders. The Q70 is the MTA's only free bus right now, offering complimentary service to and from LaGuardia Airport. Mamdani says if you can make free service there, you can make it anywhere. So far, Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber favor expansion of the fair fares discount program.
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North Texas’ Largest Public Transit System May Come Undone in 2026
A suburban mutiny against North Texas’ largest public transit agency threatens to upend how tens of thousands of Texans get around in the state’s most populated urban area — at a time state transportation planners say the state needs more public transit. A quartet of Dallas suburbs — Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch and Highland Park — plan to vote in May on whether to leave Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, following years of tensions between the suburbs and the North Texas region’s transit agency. Suburban officials complain that for how much they shell out to fund buses and light rail, their residents hardly use it. Among the four cities looking to pull out from DART, most kick in more sales tax dollars than they receive in bus service, rail and other forms of transit service, according to a consultant’s report last year.
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Mobileye Secures Deal with Major U.S. Automaker, Boosting Production Outlook
Mobileye said on Monday it has secured a major U.S. automaker as a customer for its next-generation chip, lifting production outlook, with its self-driving technology rolled out as standard equipment in millions of vehicles. The deal will see an unnamed top-10 U.S. automaker incorporating Mobileye's system across mass-market and premium models.
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Scarborough Residents Say They're Being Left Out of Transit Improvements in the City
Despite plans to open a busway in the borough, Scarborough residents say they’re being left behind as major transit lines open across Toronto. Rhoda Potter, president of the Agincourt Village Community Association, has lived in Scarborough for more than 50 years and says her community is waiting to see a subway line come to fruition. “Many people in Scarborough cannot afford a car. They need to take public transit and it takes them hours to get anywhere,” she said.
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How Toronto's Planning History Is Influencing Its Walkable Future
Tucked inside Toronto’s leafy, quiet and private residential neighborhoods are facades that tell the story of another time in the city’s urban planning history. Until the early years of the 1900s, the city’s ability to make certain decisions was curtailed by the province, like choosing where businesses went and what kinds of commercial uses could happen on which plots of land. As a result, those living in the muddy, burgeoning city of 19th century Toronto experienced a mix of business and residential buildings that present-day Torontonians haven’t seen for decades. Paul Hess, a professor in the geography and planning department at the University of Toronto, said in a pre-automobile world, it was a trend seen in cities across North America.
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Transport Canada Warns Air India on Drinking Rules after Pilot's Vancouver Arrest
An Air India pilot was arrested at Vancouver International Airport last week as he was preparing for a flight, with Canada's transportation agency warning the airline that it faced loss of its flight authorizations if it did not comply with rules about alcohol consumption. Transport Canada said in a statement Friday that the incident took place on Dec. 23, and it would engage with Air India and Indian aviation authorities to ensure “appropriate follow-up actions” were taken.
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UK: Drivers Face 'Soft Launch' of New Driving Rule from Monday with £100 Fines
A new driving ban will be enforced in parts of the UK from Monday - with fines for motorists and road users flouting it. A ban on pavement parking, as well as double parking and at dropped curbs, will kick in from Monday, January 5 in East Renfrewshire. The law does not apply to dropped curbs at private driveways. The council says a "soft launch will be undertaken for three months from 5 January until 31 March 2026 to allow residents, businesses, and visitors time to adapt to the changes before formal enforcement begins on 1 April 2026."
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Private Hire Operation Manager Discusses Shift in Driver Recruitment Strategy Towards Retention and Higher Standards
Saltire Private Hire is planning to recruit fewer drivers in 2026 as it pivots away from headcount growth and places greater emphasis on retention, standards and professionalism across its existing driver base. Rob Finlayson, Operations Manager at Saltire Private Hire, said the business is deliberately resisting an industry trend that prioritizes volume over long-term performance. He said his aim for the year ahead is to recruit only a small number of drivers, if any at all, as the company concentrates on supporting and retaining those already operating to a high standard.
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Freenow CEO Sets Out Post-Acquisition Strategy as Lyft Integration Deepens and Autonomous Plans Advance
Freenow has outlined an expanded European growth strategy and confirmed preparations to introduce autonomous vehicles from 2026, as the company moves into its first full year under the ownership of Lyft following a landmark acquisition. In a public year-end update, Thomas Zimmermann, chief executive of Freenow, described 2025 as “an incredible, truly defining year”, citing sustained profitability, accelerated market expansion and closer operational alignment with Lyft.
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Flying Taxis Set to Take Off in China, UAE in 2026
Commercial "flying taxi" services using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are poised to get off the ground in 2026, with the United Arab Emirates and China taking the lead.
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Govt-Backed Bharat Taxi Adds 45,000 Users Daily, Crosses 4 Lakh Users
A new government-backed cab-hailing app, Bharat Taxi, is gaining rapid traction across India just days after its launch, signaling a strong early response from users, giving fierce competition to ola and Uber. Supported by the Ministry of Cooperation, the app is seeing a surge in registrations, with around 40,000 to 45,000 new users signing up every day over the past two days. According to a post by the Ministry of Cooperation on social media platform X, Bharat Taxi has already crossed four lakh registered customers.
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High-Speed Rail's Rapid Rise Rolls On
China's high-speed rail network was expanded to more than 50,000 kilometers last year, while the national railway system facilitated nearly 4.26 billion passenger trips, according to China State Railway Group. The figures and forward-looking targets were announced by Guo Zhuxue, president of the State-owned operator, at the company's annual work conference on Sunday in Beijing.
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| | Astana Signs Memorandum to Develop Autonomous Taxi Service | |
Image: The Ministry of AI and Digital Development of Kazakhstan | |
The Kazakh capital plans to launch an autonomous taxi service. A memorandum of cooperation on the development of autonomous taxi services was signed in the Kazakh capital on Dec. 29 between the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, the Ministry of Transport, the Astana city administration, and Yandex Qazaqstan, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry reported.
The memorandum provides for a phased approach to preparing the autonomous taxi project, covering regulatory and technological groundwork as well as pilot launches. Implementation is scheduled for 2026 and will be carried out in close cooperation with government agencies and municipal services.
According to Gizzat Baitursynov, chairman of the Committee for Digital Assets and Breakthrough Technologies, it is essential to address safety, liability, and human–algorithm interaction issues in advance, and to develop a regulatory framework that enables such solutions to evolve legally and transparently.
Source: Astana Times
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Message from IATR President Matthew W. Daus
At the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), our regulators are at the forefront of addressing both the challenges and opportunities facing the mobility paradigm. Our IATR members, partner organizations, and regulated industries will continue on our shared quest to fulfill the mission of our non-profit educational organization - to bring about Multi-Modal Mobility Innovation for All! This mission can best be accomplished through information sharing, collaboration, identifying and promoting best practices, and educating our membership. These educational updates and electronic media clips are affectionately known as “IATR snips” and endeavor to cover all aspects of mobility around the globe - especially news and developments involving safety, technology innovation, multi-modal integration, automation, sustainability, electrification, accessibility, regulatory modernization, and equity.
If you would like more information about the IATR, you can visit our website at www.iatr.global. Current members can renew their memberships when you log in to your IATR portal on the top right-hand side of our website, or click here. If you forgot your membership password, please email our Membership Director, Eric Richardson, at erichardson@iatr.global.
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