A report from the Department of Transport reveals that a significant portion of Canadians harbor reservations about air taxis and urban drones, particularly if the federal government is tasked with regulating their traffic. Blacklock's Reporter said according to researchers, "A third of respondents, 31%, have low trust in the Government of Canada to handle the implementation of the technology."The report further indicates that "A majority of respondents, 63%, have conditional support for advanced air mobility, indicating their support depends on specific circumstances." Notably, Canadians expressed willingness to accept robotic flights for emergency services, highlighting a potential area of public acceptance.In urban areas, respondents displayed varying levels of comfort with different applications of advanced air mobility. For instance, there is strong support for search and rescue operations (81%), firefighting (78%), and emergency medical services (78%). However, other applications such as tourism and sightseeing (58%) and home deliveries (53%) received comparatively lower levels of comfort.The findings are based on questionnaires conducted with 2,717 individuals nationwide as part of the Public Opinion Research Study On Examining The Social Acceptance Of Advanced Air Mobility By The Canadian Public. The Department of Transport commissioned Léger Marketing Inc. to conduct the research, with a payment of $71,874.While recognizing the potential benefits of advanced air mobility, including improved access to remote communities and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the report also underscores the importance of social acceptance. "Low levels of social acceptance by the Canadian public may limit the uptake in Canadian society," the report cautions.Interestingly, when asked about their willingness to ride in air taxis, respondents showed a preference for piloted flights over robot taxis. Forty-one percent indicated they would ride in an air taxi with a pilot, whereas only 21% would consider a flight in a robot taxi. Similarly, pedestrians expressed greater trust in piloted air taxis (52%) compared to robot taxis (25%) flying overhead.
