Drive Sweden Policy Lab

Policy lab, as an idea, has its origins in the question "Can you work with policy and regulatory development in a better way than today?"

Reality is becoming increasingly agile, complex and difficult to grasp, which means that new tools and methods need to be developed to meet and solve important societal challenges. Changes are also happening faster than traditional regulatory development. Accelerated technology development clashes with an existing system and regulations.

The purpose of the lab is to explore how technology and service development relates to the existing policies for future mobility services. How can we take advantage of the rapid technological development in a good way to create a more sustainable world?

The lab brings together a wide range of actors to solve bottlenecks for projects and innovations that are at the forefront. A collective approach is required where different actors work together to reach a solution.

Within the framework of the project Drive Sweden Policy Lab 2023-25, we investigate the following case:

Continuation Case 5 - Modernized car rental regulations for increased car sharing

Through a policy lab, investigate a more accurate and modern regulatory framework for car sharing and present a structure and principles for such. Today's regulations limit the development of new forms of professional sharing, while private car sharing is completely unregulated and growing. Within the framework of a previous DSPL feasibility study, the government has granted an exemption from the car rental regulations for the housing company Skövdebostäder. It will be used in a pilot where the company shares several of its commercial vehicles with their tenants via a platform operator combined with tenants' vehicles. The project will follow the usage of the sharing service, impact on users' attitudes and behavior and consequences for the business of this type of service.

Case 6 – Independent assessment for trials with automated vehicles

In this case the purpose is to examine the design of an independent assessment in trials with automated vehicles. The Swedish Transport Agency's regulations and general advice on permission to conduct trials with automated vehicles have recently been amended by adding a general advice that companies' own risk assessment should in certain cases be supplemented with a statement from independent assessors concerning traffic safety. However, there is no further guidance on when such statement is needed and what it should cover. The case generates solutions by clarifying and exemplifying the application and scope of independent assessments in trials with automated vehicles.

Within the framework of the project Drive Sweden Policy Lab 2021/22, we investigated five different cases:

Case 1 - Modern and simpler tax system for private car sharing

The purpose of case 1 is to increase knowledge about the taxation in the sharing economy, where private individuals rent out loose things, e.g. vehicles within the current regulations. We investigate and concretize the need for development of the tax regulations.

Case 2 - Bus cameras for society´s benefit

The purpose of case 2 is to sort out policy challenges of bus cameras to increase safety for the public and use and data for a more sustainable, more efficient and connected society.

Case 3 – Traffic cameras for society´s benefit

The purpose of case 3 is to sort out policy challenges of traffic cameras to increase safety for the public and use and data for a more sustainable, more efficient and connected society.

Case 4 – Future traffic rules

This case identifies challenges, opportunities and solutions regarding current regulations for the design of traffic rules - how they are received by those who issue rules and by those who can benefit from machine-readable traffic regulations and the consequences of the alternatives.

Case 5 – Feasability study - regulatory sandbox car rental legislation

We want to lower the threshold for professional actors to share unused vehicles on evenings and weekends to reduce the need for their own car with private individuals. Through the policy lab methodology, we identify challenges, opportunities and solutions regarding the "car rental regulations".

During 2019/20, the Drive Sweden Policy Lab worked on three different regulatory challenges:

We have investigated which regulations apply to self-driving buses in a depot, i.e. how the bus must be self-certified, under the supervision of the Swedish Work Environment Authority regarding the machine directive or according to the trial regulation of the Swedish Transport Agency.

Furthermore, we have collected the needs and uncertainties of the authorities, technology suppliers and telecom operators regarding how vehicle sensors can contribute with data to benefit the society. Here, the technology suppliers would like to see a different model than the one that the telecom operators have vis-à-vis the authorities today.

In a further case, DSPL has investigated how data sharing can make the goods owners' transport more efficient based on a specific government assignment to the Swedish Transport Administration.

The first policy lab case started in 2018 - on policy innovation for P2P carsharing in Sweden.