BIC National Policy and Operations Manger Glen Bortolin had the pleasure of attending and participating at last week’s inaugural National Future Transport Summit 2025.

The Summit brought together government, industry, and community to discuss and shape a shared future for connected and automated transport.

The BIC had the opportunity to speak on the panel, “Expecting Megalopolis”, which discussed the issue of growing Australian cities, expanding urban boundaries, and building density, driving demand for mobility. It delved in the critical role of public transport, in particular how buses can be a perfect solution for enabling liveable, sustainable megacities.

Chaired by David Speers, Australian journalist, and host of Insiders on ABC TV, the Summit showcased keynotes speakers from:

• Simon Kuetenmcaher, Co-founder and Director, The Demographics Group,
• Su McCluskley, Interim Executive Director, National Farmers Federation,
• Sally Stannard, Director General, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads,
• Richard Wilder, Global Head of Autonomous Vehicles, Uber,
• Rob Sharp, CEO, Airservices Australia.

The purpose of the Summit was to discuss, debate and subsequently agree on key 6 key recommendations, collaboratively developed by the Summit Consortium, which included transport agencies, industry (both transport and logistics), technology providers and community bodies.

1. Safety,
2. Productivity,
3. Sustainability,
4. Social Legitimacy,
5. Infrastructure,
6. Planning and Collaboration.

These recommendations will be further refined post suggested amendments by Summit delegates, and a final report will be finalised by the Centre for Connected and Automated Transport (CCAT) who spearheaded this initiative.