US Department of Transport (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao has announced the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology Council, which aims to explore the regulation and permitting of hyperloop technology.
Virgin Hyperloop One, which is headed by DP World’s Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem - has been engaged with the DOT and Secretary Chao for months, taking the necessary steps to commercialise this technology in the U.S.
The council is the culmination of months of work at the federal, state, and local level.
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“I want to thank Secretary Chao for her leadership setting up this forward-thinking council at DOT,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.
“Virgin Hyperloop One is eager to continue working with the Secretary and her team.
“Through our recent conversations it is clear she wants to be at the forefront of exploring innovative technologies to improve transportation in the United States.”
“Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation that is built for the 21st century,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One.
“We want to be the company that spearheads the next giant leap forward in transportation here in the United States but we know we can’t do it alone. We applaud the DOT for their support of this technology.”
Alongside hyperloop, the council will explore emerging technologies like tunnelling, autonomous vehicles, and other innovations.
The council will ensure that the traditional modal silos at the DOT do not impede the deployment of new technologies.
“New technologies increasingly straddle more than one mode of transportation, so I’ve signed an order creating a new internal Department council to better coordinate the review of innovations that have multi-modal applications,” said Secretary Chao.
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