Self-driving vehicles will transport passengers in London to prove the technology is suitable for the British roads. The trial with volunteers is ran by FiveAI and Direct Line Group, an insurance providers, in cooperation with TRL, centre for innovation in transport and mobility, and other partners.
The new scheme will have a fixed route in the London boroughs of Croydon and Bromley. The idea is to prove that driverless vehicles can operate on narrower roads in Europe. FiveAI is responsible for developing the software. TRL will monitor and asses the results and will focus on how the scheme works and how satisfied the volunteers are. The cars will have a driver in case there is a need for one.
Stan Boland, co-founder and CEO of FiveAI, said: “Shared, self-driving vehicle services promise a better way for people to get around, we’ll be working with forward-thinking partners to make these services a reality in European urban environments.’