DfT v TfL - who’s behind the wheel on Robocabs?

The Government should give Transport for London (TfL) the power to set a cap on the number of autonomous passenger vehicles operators can deploy in London, when the full regulations under the Automated Vehicles Act are put in place in 2027. This should happen alongside devolving the power to issue Automated Passenger Services (APS) permits to TfL.

In its report released today, the London Assembly Transport Committee believes that as it stands, it has not currently heard sufficient evidence to persuade it that London should welcome autonomous passenger services. Recommendations in the report ‘Who’s driving the future of autonomous transport in London?’ include:

• The current Automated Passenger Service (APS) permitting framework should be regarded as transitional, during the initial small-scale pilot phase. When the Government puts in place the full regulations under the Automated Vehicles Act in 2027, it should devolve the power to issue and withdraw APS permits, and to set conditions for operators wishing to deploy autonomous passenger vehicles in London, to Transport for London (TfL).
• TfL, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the London Fire Brigade (LFB), should establish a standard framework for interaction between autonomous passenger vehicles and emergency services.
• TfL should establish a definition for safety incidents involving Autonomous Passenger Vehicles. This should include as a minimum, crashes and near misses. As a condition for granting consent, TfL should require that this information is provided along with the vehicle’s decision-making processes that led to the incident within 24 hours.
• TfL should establish ‘empty miles driven’ as a core reporting metric, as a condition for granting consent to Automated Passenger Service (APS) permits. TfL should continuously monitor and publish this data, alongside data on traffic levels and congestion. Negative impacts on congestion should be a reason for withdrawal of consent if TfL is granted full regulatory powers.

Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Caroline Russell AM, said:

“The London Assembly Transport Committee is not convinced that London should welcome autonomous passenger services.

“It is vital that TfL gets the power to issue Automated Passenger Service (APS) permits, given these services are so imminently expected on London’s roads. But autonomous passenger services are not the only option for driverless vehicle technology. Rather than just accepting the autonomous passenger service model proposed by operators, London should be looking at the transport problems it is trying to solve and then considering what solutions this technology could provide. We’d like to see more innovative thinking from TfL about the application of driverless technology in London, as currently, they are simply not in the driving seat.

“The impact of the introduction of automation on London’s roads is as yet unknown. TfL must ensure that if and/or how this technology is brought in, it is done in a way that works for Londoners and for our transport network.”