For the analysis of legal barriers and standardisation gaps, no systematic review of the individual new means of transport is performed, since there is a large variation in basic aims and stage of development. Instead, the transport concepts are treated in classes for which general legal issues are identified. The analysis shows that legal issues must not be underestimated. Due to the novelty of transport concepts, laws and regulations need to be adapted or drafted to clear legal barriers for market introduction. Differences in legislation between countries may hinder a European-wide spread of new transport concepts.
Harmonisation is necessary to overcome possible barriers.
The analysis of the economic performance of transport concepts compares the selected new means of transport with typical base transport concepts and identifies differences in impacts with respect to the mobility market, congestion reduction, environment, infrastructure needs, service level improvements, safety issues and costs. The analysis gives a very general and illustrative idea of the merits and disadvantages of the new means of transport in comparison with selected base transport concepts. The positive effect on congestion reduction by most new means of transport is an endogenous relationship that results from the definition and choice of the base concepts. Exceptional good scores on congestion reduction are given to the Road Train, the Underground Logistic System and the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn. These concepts supplement the existing transport system in a very efficient manner.