Britain's roads could see driverless cars cruising around in their droves as early as 2027 under plans reportedly being drawn up by the government.
In a bid to pass legislation allowing automated cars in the UK before the next election, the Department for Transport is slimming down delayed future rules, according to sources cited by The Telegraph.
These could be unveiled in the King’s Speech on 7 November during the state opening of parliament, sources said, which traditionally sees planned bills laid out by the monarch.
Industry bodies have indeed pressured the government to lay out proposals at the event, arguing firms could be deterred from the UK as a result of delays.
“Industry wants to see the government introduce legislation in the King’s Speech,” a spokesperson for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on self-driving vehicles said.
“Any failure to do so risks hitting investor confidence, setting back our competitive advantage in an area of cutting-edge technology and manufacturing.”
Self-driving cars are already permitted in some areas, including in parts of China and San Francisco - where the technology has been slated for causing chaos after driverless taxis were given the green light to operate at all hours from August.
Failures of the taxis, which have reportedly hit emergency vehicles, driven through construction sites and even lost connection, have led to questions over testing.
Under plans in the UK, such a rollout could happen as early as 2024, subject to regulatory approval for companies developing such driverless technology.
Whether the plans are indeed unveiled next month remains to be seen however, despite King Charles’ speech likely being the last before the next general election.