Views are being sought from the UK Government on the future of self-driving vehicles as the first services are due to become available next year.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has launched a consultation on the automated passenger services (APS) permitting scheme and the draft statutory instrument – a key legal element of how taxi, private-hire and bus-like services of self-driving vehicles will be regulated.
Safety, innovation, world-leading regulation and accessibility will be at “the forefront” of the consultation, the government said, with the self-driving vehicles rollout aiming to help reduce human error, which contributes to 88% of all road collisions.
The consultation follows the recent government decision to fast-track pilots of self-driving passenger vehicles to Spring 2026. These pilots will allow firms to trial small-scale services without a safety driver for the first time, with the service potentially available to the public, before a potential wider rollout when the Automated Vehicles Act is implemented in full from the second half of 2027.
It also seeks to assess how self-driving vehicles can be made as accessible as possible for disabled and older people, how services of self-driving vehicles are approved by councils, and when a permit to operate a service should be varied, suspended or withdrawn.
Through the consultation, representative groups, industry stakeholders, trade unions and members of the public will be able to make their views heard and influence future government policy over a variety of areas critical for self-driving vehicles to run safely and efficiently.
Self-driving trials have been taking place in the UK since January 2015, with British companies Wayve and Oxa spearheading the technology.
Future of Roads 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.
“This technology doesn’t just have the potential to improve transport for millions of people. It will help stimulate innovation, create thousands of jobs, and drive investment to put more money in people’s pockets – all part of delivering our Plan for Change.”
Gavin Jackson, CEO 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 automated vehicle services a commercial reality.
“The APS scheme will enable the deployment of innovative public transport services that will augment our current transport network, making it easier and more accessible than ever to get around.”
Image from Shutterstock
