techUK responds to report on autonomous vehicle passenger services in London
The London Assembly Transport Committee has published its report on autonomous passenger services in the capital. techUK contributed written evidence to the inquiry earlier this year, as did a number of our members.
The UK has spent almost a decade building one of the most comprehensive regulatory regimes for AVs anywhere in the world, developed with government, regulators, industry, both Houses of Parliament, and the public. Vehicles need approval against an exacting safety framework before being allowed to operate on public roads, and they then face ongoing monitoring. London can now show what this detailed framework delivers in practice.
We welcome the Committee’s scrutiny of a technology that is arriving on London’s streets right now, though we do have disagreements with aspects of its findings. Firstly, we see some of the concerns raised as not taking full account of the proven nature of this technology. Secondly, we think there is, in places, an emphasis on potential risks without a sufficient recognition of either the regulatory safeguards already underlying it nor of the economic and social benefits that autonomous transport could deliver.
London has a real opportunity to realise the benefits of autonomous passenger services, including safer streets and improved mobility services. Responsible early development will help build confidence and understanding, further demonstrate safety and boost accessibility. techUK and our members have worked in detail for several years alongside government, transport authorities, regulators, and the public, and the national regime that has resulted is among the most comprehensive in the world. Local consent works best when aligned with that national framework, rather than diverging from it. With those foundations and the right safeguards in place, autonomous vehicles can spur investment, support innovation, and connect more people in the capital; and our members look forward to working with local authorities to deliver it.
- Julian David, CEO, techUK
techUK has long been clear that London must embrace the opportunities of this new technology to remain a leading hub for transport innovation, investment and economic growth. Recent research estimates that APS could generate £2.1bn of gross value added by 2050 alongside supporting jobs across the economy. These benefits will be felt not only in the capital, but nationwide. London is fast becoming the leading European city for the testing, piloting, and deployment of AVs and APS. Our members are clear that the pilot schemes that are rolled out in London will be deployed responsibly, and that these early services are how public confidence is built by helping Londoners learn what these vehicles mean for their roads and demonstrate how these services can support the Mayor's Transport Strategy. That is an argument for proceeding carefully and for recognising that these deployments are already being carried out with great care.
Perhaps the most important point in the Committee’s report is that it asks what problems London wants this technology to solve. To answer this, we must be clear that autonomous vehicles are not an end in themselves but are being created by developers and chosen by the public because of the benefits they deliver. The case for them rests on how they can create safer streets (as required by law) by removing the human error that contributes to 88% of road traffic accidents, secure better access to mobility for people who cannot drive, strengthen first- and last-mile connections to public transport, and form part of a transport system that works better for Londoners.
As well as these many benefits, we welcome the report’s feedback on other issues. These include accessibility, where we fully agree that APS should be designed in collaboration with disabled people. This is already happening, with detailed work ongoing to ensure the best service possible. APS has a real potential to expand independent travel for people for whom driving is not an option, and the increases in road safety are likely to be most beneficial to the most vulnerable road users.
As with all new technologies, there is some apprehension about workforce disruption, and it therefore deserves attention from the Committee. The introduction of AVs is expected to be gradual and phased, with automated services operating alongside human-driven ones for years. Additionally, the arrival of AVs will create many new roles – in manufacturing, fleet maintenance, AI development, and many other areas – alongside broader economic and social benefits outlined above which should also be taken into account. techUK’s view is that managing this transition responsibly, through honest public engagement, local research and with the voices of workers and their representatives included from the start is the right course.
One important theme in the report with which we disagree, and have long put forward a contrasting view, is that of the framing of the overall safety standard. The Government, after years of consideration and engagement with the sector, is setting the overall standard required of AVs as that of a “careful and competent” human driver. Their report, however, asks for London to diverge from this, an action that we believe underestimates the strength and reasoning of the agreed national standard. It is a well-established legal standard which exceeds the safety level of the average human driver. The divergence from that standard that the Committee suggests has recently been considered in detail and rejected by the Government in its current proposals for these reasons. A wider concern is that to part ways with a nationally-agreed – and, in the case of the new UNECE regulations, internationally-agreed – standard would bring significant costs, by halting investment and innovation in London, without delivering additional safety.
In wishing to diverge from national standards, the Committee does not sufficiently recognise that these national safety and approvals frameworks are rigorous, robust, and effective. London’s role in consenting and shaping AV services within its jurisdiction gives it genuine control over the questions that are properly local, whilst ensuring that matters that need not be relitigated region-by-region are not. Building on the existing arrangements – rather than adding to them -- would give businesses, investors and Londoners the clarity they need while the technology is tested through carefully managed deployment. Additionally, divergence by one area would likely be mirrored by other transport authorities as companies scale, leading to nationwide fragmentation and a breakdown of the rollout of this valuable technology.
This technology and its regulatory framework have been developed over many years. It is safe, proven, and ready to deploy. London, and the UK more widely, need to live up to their reputations as global tech leaders and support and enable APS to secure social benefits and deliver the economic growth that we need. Our members look forward to working with the Mayor, Transport for London, and the boroughs to make that happen, safely and openly.
If you would like to get involved in techUK’s work on AVs and join our Self-Driving Vehicles Working Group, please email Robert.Price@techUK.org
