The Transport Committee has published a report focusing on the future of self-driving vehicles (SDVs) and steps the Government should take upon their introduction to UK roads.
Safety, security, dilemmas over legal liability, and infrastructure that will be needed to accommodate the introduction of these vehicles were discussed; with recommendations made by the cross-party Committee on tackling these concerns. 
There is range of possible uses for SDVs including with HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicle), buses, taxis and private cars. In time the Committee believes SDVs may improve connectivity and provide benefits for safety and productivity industries such as logistics.
Ian Wainwright, Chair of the Freight and Logistics Policy Group at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) said: “I was honoured to be able to represent CILT and provide oral evidence to the Transport Select Committee, again demonstrating the positive role the institute can play.
“CILT welcomes the report which summarises the evidence provided to the committee and the current situation, and particularly welcome the highlighting of issues that need to be addressed to ensure public safety and acceptability and the potential gaps in the proposed legislation” he added.
Transport Committee Chair Iain Stewart said: “Thanks to the energy and creativity of the self-driving vehicles sector, the UK has a head start in developing a vision for how SDVs could be introduced. The Government’s strategy is one this Committee broadly welcomes.
“Widespread take-up of SDVs faces various hurdles, including public confidence in their safety, security and their potential to have knock-on impacts on other road users. If the Government is going to meet its ambitions for self-driving vehicle deployment these knotty issues need to be addressed. We believe the Government should take a cautious, gradual approach, with SDV technologies only initially introduced in well-defined contexts, or else we risk unintended consequences.”
Ian Stewart further explained that the Government need to follow through on this, bringing forward a transport Bill in the next Parliamentary session before the next general election.
To read the report in full, visit: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmtrans/519/report.html
Image credit: Shutterstock