Institute for Driverless Transport wants answers on jobs impact and what happens if the supplier bails
As robotaxis continue trials in London, an independent research group thinks the UK needs to answer some serious questions before heading any further down the road.
To kick off, the sovereignty question, or "Will Britain become dependent on autonomous vehicle services for any key activities and what fallback options will exist if a supplier fails or withdraws?" as the Institute for Driverless Transport (IfDT) puts it.
Another question concerns employment: "To what extent does professional driving form part of the UK's employment safety net and how will this function be recreated if demand for professional drivers is significantly reduced?"
The objective for IfDT — an independent UK research and convening body focused on the consequences of autonomous vehicles — is to cast the net a bit wider than simply thinking about whether the software is sufficient to navigate London’s wiggly streets and narrow alleys.
The research draws on work with operators trying to bring AVs to London and the regulators responsible for policy. It also relied on more than 30 conversations with councils, operators, industry, unions, charities, insurers, lawyers and universities.
James Hutt, IfDT co-founder, said: "What struck us most in the interviews was how far this reaches: into jobs, public services, the built environment and national resilience. The people who know those areas best are rarely part of the conversation about AVs.
"Our next step is to bring funding and researchers together with the businesses and public bodies that need answers. If you can fund research or offer a place to test it, we would like to hear from you."
In August, Transport for London (TfL) granted private hire licences to autonomous vehicle operators provided that a human driver is present during journeys.
Wayve and Uber have since launched self-driving rides in the UK capital, with 15 electric Ford Mustangs, equipped with the Wayve AI driver, set to pick up passengers with a safety driver on board.
UK company Wayve also demoed a Nissan LEAF, running the Wayve AI Driver using NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion with self-driving equipment built more closely into the car's design.
The research organization said UK authorities still need to answer a long list of questions in order to shape long-term infrastructure plans for local areas and prepare for AI's impact on the labor market.
The question of who needs to do this also remains unanswered, as the IfDT asks:
"Which are the key public bodies that should already be anticipating the impact of AVs on their own work and who within those organisations should lead a response?"®