Safety Management Systems in Road Transport: Opportunities and Challenges in Shared Mobility
Abstract
Safety Management Systems (SMS) have long been applied in high-risk sectors such as aviation and rail, but their adaptation to road transport remains underexplored. This paper examines the potential of SMS as a proactive framework for improving safety in road transport, with particular attention to shared auto vehicles. It traces the origins and principles of SMS, evaluates its benefits and limitations, and analyzes case studies from public transit, shared mobility platforms, and international experiences. The findings show that SMS can strengthen safety culture, enhance hazard identification, and support continuous monitoring, yet challenges such as fragmented governance, inconsistent driver practices, and technological barriers limit its effectiveness. The paper argues that stronger policy commitment, regulatory oversight, and institutional coordination are essential for successful implementation, alongside platform-level measures such as driver training, fatigue management, and data-driven monitoring. The distinctive contribution of this study lies in extending SMS from traditional high-risk sectors to the fragmented and rapidly evolving context of road transport and shared mobility, clarifying both the opportunities and systemic challenges of such adaptation for policymakers, regulators, and platform operators.
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