Britain risks losing its reputation as a destination to develop new technologies if laws allowing driverless car trials are not urgently introduced, a group of high-profile tech and insurance figures have warned.
The transport bill was dropped under the short-lived Liz Truss administration, which dismayed the nascent automated vehicles industry. Currently, any self-driving tests require a safety driver to sit in the front.
In a letter to the prime minister, organised by insurer AXA UK and Ireland, leading tech and insurance figures including Ocado boss Tim Steiner and Virgin Group chief executive Josh Bayliss urged him to keep his commitment to allow trials without a supervisor.
“Otherwise, the UK risks losing out on a key growth opportunity, not only damaging its long-term economic prospects but also its reputation as a place to invest in developing future technologies,” they wrote.
They say accelerating the legal framework would help the push towards net zero and reduce road accidents.
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Other signatories included Microsoft’s chief strategy officer Bobby Yerramilli-Rao, Alex Kendall, who is behind driverless car pioneer Wayve, and senior executives at Asda and Honda.
Claudio Gienal, AXA UK&I chief executive, said: “As one of the largest motor insurers, AXA is calling on the government to demonstrate it recognises the benefits of this next step in transportation technology by making autonomous vehicles legislation a priority for the next parliamentary session.”
In 2016, George Osborne, then chancellor, said he wanted Britain to “lead the world in new technologies and infrastructure”, but introducing a legal framework has been slow to get moving.
