YOUNG PEOPLE AS ACCESSIBILITY OPERATORS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: THE CONCEPT AND EVIDENCE FROM SERBIA

Accessible autonomous-vehicle services may require human support even when driving is fully automated. This paper conceptualises the autonomous-vehicle operator (AVO) as an accessibility operator who assists passengers during different stages of their journey. The study aims to outline the basic functions of this emerging role and provide an initial assessment of young people’s interest in performing it. A secondary analysis was conducted using 1,337 valid responses from an online survey in Serbia. Interest was described as the proportion of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed with four statements, while willingness to apply was compared across basic respondent characteristics using Pearson’s chi-square test. The results show that 38.7% wanted to learn more about the occupation, 26.3% believed they might enjoy the work, 22.4% would apply if a position became available, and 19.7% would consider becoming an AVO. Willingness to apply was higher among respondents who were not pupils or students and among those holding a driving licence, whereas no significant differences were found by sex, age or place of residence. The findings indicate limited but meaningful initial interest and highlight the need to define the AVO role more clearly in terms of tasks, competencies, training and opportunities for professional development.