The Transport Committee is to continue its inquiry into self-driving vehicles (SDVs) next week by examining the planned regulatory framework that is being developed around their everyday use.
The cross-party Committee will question experts on issues around how SDVs interact with pedestrians and other road users, their safety and security, and public perception of them.
MPs may ask about the possibilities of self-driving technology being introduced for commercial purposes, such as delivering groceries, mining, freight, or passenger shuttle services along old railway lines.
There may also be questions about infrastructure improvements that would enable wider use of SDVs, including Wifi, 4G and 5G coverage on roads.
The Government believes the potential benefits of self-driving vehicles – or ‘connected and autonomous mobility’ – are “considerable”.
In a policy paper published in August 2022, the former Transport and Business Secretaries of State set out their vision alongside the Government’s role in ensuring the safety and security of self-driving road vehicles, their occupants and other road users.
A new Chair of the Committee will be elected by all members of the House of Commons on Wednesday 16 November. Ben Bradshaw MP is chairing meetings of the Committee in the interim.
Wednesday 16 November in Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster. Hearing from:
At 9.00am
- Ashley Feldman, Transport and Smart Cities Programme and Policy Manager, techUK
- Ben Gardner, Senior Associate, Pinsent Masons LLP
- Mark Shepherd, Assistant Director and Head of General Insurance Policy, Association of British Insurers
At 10.00am
- Becky Guy, Road Safety Manager, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
- Professor Jack Stilgoe, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, UCL
- A representative from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
