Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has launched a new consultation on the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permission scheme, as well as the draft statutory instrument.
The instrument will form a legal element of how taxi, private-hire and bus-like services of self-driving cars will be regulated once they enter operation throughout Great Britain.
The consultation follows the Government’s recent decision to fast-track pilots of self-driving passenger vehicles to Spring 2026, allowing firms to pilot minor scale services without a safety driver for the first time.
Open for 10 weeks with the the Statutory Instrument tended to come into effect in spring 2026, the consultation is set to be concluded long before the full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act in the second half of 2027.
The acceleration of the self-driving pilots are hoped to enable the Government to deliver its Plan for Change with the creation of 38,000 jobs.
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:Self-driving vehicles are one of the most exciting opportunities to improve transport for so many people, especially those in rural areas or unable to drive. We want to work with passengers and industry to make this new form of transport safe and accessible, as we take our next steps towards adoption.
This technology doesn’t just have the potential to improve transport for millions of people. It will help stimulate innovation, create thousands of jobs, and drive investment to put more money in people’s pockets – all part of delivering our Plan for Change.
The consultation is expected to allow representative groups, industry stakeholders, trade unions and the general public to voice their opinions and influence future Government policy over a number of areas pertaining to the safety and efficiency of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain.
Areas of discussing will include the accessibility of self-driving vehicles for disabled users and older people, how services will be approved by councils and when a permit to operate should be varies, suspended or, in some cases, withdrawn.
Gavin Jackson, CEO of OXA, said:As the first company to trial an autonomous vehicle (AV) on UK roads back in 2016, we are delighted to see the UK continuing to progress towards making AV services a commercial reality.
The Automated Passenger Services (APS) regime will enable the deployment of innovative public transport services that will augment our current transport network, making it easier and more accessible than ever to get around.
The Automated Vehicles Act is set to require all self-driving vehicles to perform at a level at least as high as competent human drivers, with each application planned to see companies undergo rigorous safety tests before being given permission to operate on public roads.
