A driverless bus in operation in China (Image: Getty)
Self-driving cars will be available for the public to hire by next spring, after the Government unveiled plans for mayors and local councils to approve pilot schemes.Passengers will be able to hail a self-driving car with an app when trials begin, with a national roll-out due in 2027.
London is likely to be one of the first cities to benefit after Uber and UK tech firm Wayve announced plans for a joint project in the capital. Oxa, another British firm, is also expected to launch trial schemes after previously testing autonomous cars in Oxford, London and Birmingham.
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Ministers are keen to fast-track the introduction of the vehicles in the belief that it will give UK manufacturers and technology providers an advantage when self-driving cars and buses become the norm across the world in years to come. The market for these vehicles is expected to be worth ￡42 billion by 2035.
But questions have been raised about the impact on jobs, with an estimated 320,000 people in the UK working as delivery drivers or couriers.
Self-driving passenger services similar to taxis will need approval from a local transport authority, which usually means a mayor-led transport authority or council, a consultation launched by the Department for Transport set out. Services similar to buses will usually be approved by central government at first, but Ministers plan to give mayors a bigger role overseeing all types of bus services.
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Under laws drawn up to prepare for the arrival of self-driving cars, manufacturers must demonstrate that vehicles are at least as safe as those driven by a human before they can be allowed on the roads.
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Self-driving vehicles are one of the most exciting opportunities to improve transport for so many people, especially those in rural areas or unable to drive. We want to work with passengers and industry to make this new form of transport safe and accessible, as we take our next steps towards adoption.”
But Reform MP Lee Anderson has asked the Department for Transport to make an assessment of the potential impact on people whose jobs involve driving.
Concerns about safety were raised by the House of Commons Transport Committee, which warned that human drivers “may become less practised and therefore less skilled”, and might struggle to keep themselves and others safe if they had to retake control of the vehicle at short notice in an emergency.
MPs called for changes to driving tests to ensure all drivers understand self-driving vehicles and have the skills needed to take control of a vehicle in all circumstances.
Ministers say the Automated Vehicles Act, which came into law last year, will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers, while the cars and buses will undergo rigorous safety tests before being allowed on our roads.
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The Government also says that the introduction of self-driving vehicles will take place over time, and there will be discussions with taxi, bus and private hire vehicle drivers.
The consultation asks how self-driving vehicles can be made accessible for disabled and older people, how services of self-driving vehicles should be approved by councils, and when a permit to operate a service should be taken away.
Gavin Jackson, chief executive of OXA, said: “As the first company to trial an autonomous vehicle on UK roads back in 2016, we are delighted to see the UK continuing to progress towards making autonomous vehicle services a commercial reality.”
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