Applications have opened today for operators to run taxi, bus and private hire self-driving vehicles in the UK.
The government believes that passengers could be booking self-driving journeys in the pilot scheme, as earlier as this year.
The Roads and Buses Minister stated that services would be held to “strict safety requirements” which they claim would “unlock significant economic growth and support thousands of jobs.”
“Self-driving vehicles represent a transformative opportunity for Britain, opening up independent travel for disabled people and older adults, whilst driving growth and creating high-skilled jobs across the UK,” explained Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood.
“This pilot scheme brings that future closer, giving passengers the opportunity to experience self-driving travel first-hand while ensuring safety always comes first.”
READ MORE – Manchester dispatch software provider signs up with USA’s largest taxi fleet
British self-driving tech firm, Wayve, is amongst those expected to bring the cutting-edge technology to British roads.
“The UK has all the ingredients to become a global leader in the deployment of self-driving vehicles, and today’s launch of the Automated Passenger Services scheme marks an important milestone. Wayve has been developing its technology in the UK for nearly a decade, and we’re excited to bring our supervised passenger service to market here this year,” said Sarah Gates, VP, Global Affairs and Assurance at Wayve.
“Self-driving vehicles represent a generational opportunity to make road transport safer, more accessible and more convenient for millions of people. Beyond the societal benefits, this sector also has the potential to drive significant economic growth — revitalising the UK’s industrial base, creating high-skilled jobs, and strengthening the country’s position as a world-leading technology ecosystem.”
The Department of Transport stated that self-driving services could “transform roads, with human error currently contributing to 88% of collisions on UK roads.”
“I’m delighted that the APS (automated passenger services) SI is coming into force and that we will be able to learn from the initial provision of services to understand how to scale such services safely and to support the wider community, including those less able to travel independently,” said Prof John McDermid, OBE FREng, Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair of Safety at University of York, and Director Centre for Assuring Autonomy.
READ MORE – Wejo’s $100M mess: Inside the collapse of a £1bn Manchester tech unicorn
The pilot scheme will gather evidence on how the vehicles operate on everyday roads, from navigating urban streets, to interacting with traffic and carrying passengers safely.
Local transport authorities, will also need to provide local consent to ensure services reflect local priorities.
“This is an exciting and important step toward launching autonomous vehicles in the UK,” stated Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery, Uber, which owns Manchester’s Autocab.
