British Government launches new £40 million competition to accelerate entry into operation of self-driving commercial services
(Sustainabilityenvironment.com) – Autonomous driving technologies continue to buy a room for maneuver in the UK. After putting the first driverless bus on the road, the UK government is ready to accelerate further into smart mobility. With a budget of £40 million. British Investment Minister Gerry Grimstone launched a competition this morning to finance the launch of new self-driving services for commercial use. Buses, passenger shuttles and self-driving cars and vans are to be put on the road in the coming years.
“Self-driving vehicles have the potential to revolutionize people’s lives, whether its by helping to better connect people who rely on public transport with jobs, local shops, and vital services, or by making it easier for those who have mobility issues to order and access services conveniently. This funding will help unlock the incredible potential of this new and growing industry, building on the continued development of self-driving technology, attracting investment and helping make our transport cleaner, safer and more efficient”. Said Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone.
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The competition aims to bring together companies and investors by creating sustainable business models to be implemented nationally and export globally for autonomous cars. The types of implementable vehicles include delivery vans, buses, shuttles and pods for passengers, as well as means for carrying luggage at airports and containers in ports of dispatch.
At the same time, the UK Government will continue to develop a comprehensive legal framework for this self-driving vehicle technology in order to ensure its safety.
“We know that self-driving vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the way we travel, making our future journeys cleaner, easier and more reliable. But our absolute priority is harnessing the technology to improve road safety“, said Transport Minister Trudy Harrison. “With around 88% of road collisions currently caused by human error, this funding will drive the introduction of new technology to improve travel for all, while boosting economic growth and highly skilled jobs across the nation”
