SMMT welcomes automated passenger services consultation
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has welcomed the government’s automated passenger services consultation.
It said that autonomous vehicles represents a huge opportunity for the UK economy, the automotive sector and road safety, but insisted that public confidence is critical to a successful transition.
CEO Mike Hawes said: “Britain’s self-driving vehicle revolution took another step forward this summer with the government announcement of its automated passenger services (APS) scheme which is set to approve commercial pilots – of ride-hailing, shuttle and bus services – on UK roads from spring 2026.
“It is a welcome acceleration towards the introduction of self-driving vehicles which, with the right secondary legislation following the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, can ensure the safe and responsible rollout of this technology with transformative benefits for society and the economy.”
Immense potential
Hawes continued: “A thriving connected and automated mobility sector in the UK has immense potential, as our most recent cross sector report found, with the ability to deliver up to £66bon annually by 2040 and creating 342,000 jobs. Given self-driving vehicles can remove human error, meanwhile, which is responsible for the majority of road accidents, the technology has the potential to save 3,900 lives and prevent 60,000 serious accidents over the next 15 years.
“While the latest APS scheme focuses on passenger services, the technology is also poised to benefit personal mobility, logistics, farming, mining and defence – offering less stressful journeys, substantial time savings, streamlined business operations, and greater travel freedom for people who cannot drive, due to disability, for example. Speeding up rollout can deliver these benefits sooner.”
Public confidence
Hawes concluded: “Similar to the EV transition, however, success depends on public confidence and cross-sector collaboration, so we must ensure the technology has broad support and is widely understood – as safe, reliable, accessible and suitable for road users across the country.
“We welcome government’s new APS consultation, therefore, as it is an important step to ensure the secondary legislation needed to deliver the scheme considers the wide range of needs and roles.
“The consultation will include local authorities, who must provide consent for APS to take place in their area, while the priorities of traffic authorities, older and disabled passengers, emergency services and others are also crucial. Secondary legislation that addresses these matters will help industry guarantee the innovation, already well advanced with passenger service trials currently operating across the UK, meets the needs of everyone.”
