Passengers could book taxi and bus-style self-driving vehicles later this year, as applications open today for operators to run cars across Great Britain.
The pilot scheme will enable firms – including British self-driving technology company Wayve – to bring the technology to British roads, with the government projecting thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds of economic value by 2035.
Services could support greater freedom and independence for older and disabled people, as well as expanding travel options across work and leisure.
“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,” says Sarah Gates, vice president of global affairs and assurance at Wayve. “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. Beyond the societal benefits, this sector also has the potential to drive significant economic growth, revitalising the UK’s industrial base and creating high-skilled jobs.”
Human error currently contributes to 88% of collisions on UK roads, and the government says self-driving technology has the potential to reduce that figure.
Safety will be central to the pilot, which will gather real-world evidence on how self-driving vehicles operate on everyday roads, from navigating busy urban streets to interacting with traffic and carrying passengers. Services will be subject to approval checks by government, including safety assessments covering cyber and security threats.
“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,” says Simon Lightwood, roads and buses minister. “This pilot scheme brings that future closer, giving passengers the opportunity to experience self-driving travel first-hand while ensuring safety always comes first.”
Local transport authorities, such as Transport for London, will also need to provide local consent to ensure services reflect local priorities.
The government is working with safety and accessibility experts as it develops the regulations needed to bring self-driving vehicles to British roads. Learnings from the pilots will support the development of self-driving vehicle regulations, currently being progressed by government following a Call for Evidence that closed in March.
“The UK is leading the way in enabling the safe deployment of pilot autonomous vehicle services,” says Ben Loewenstein, head of policy and government affairs for the UK and Europe at Waymo. “We hope to soon become part of London’s transport network and demonstrate the safety, accessibility, sustainability benefits of battery-electric autonomous vehicles through the government’s pilot scheme. We are excited to bring our fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the UK, and help make transport in London safer and more accessible.”
“Today is a significant milestone in the safe and responsible rollout of automated vehicles on British roads,” says Mike Hawes, chief executive at SMMT. “For the first time, legislation will allow operators to offer passenger-carrying commercial services – such as robotaxis – to the general public. Automated passenger services represent a market expected to be worth some £3.7 billion annually in Britain by 2040 whilst having the potential to widen society’s access to mobility and improve road safety.”
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