Autonomous pilots brought forward

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has confirmed the Government will fast-track autonomous vehicle pilots to spring 2026, introducing self-driving commercial pilots on England’s roads.

Firms will be able to pilot small scale ‘taxi- and bus-like’ services without a safety driver for the first time, which could be available to members of the public to book via an app, before a potential wider rollout when the full Automated Vehicles (AV) Act becomes law from the second half of 2027.

The Government believes nearly 40,000 jobs could be created, roads could be safer, and billions could be added to the economy as self-driving vehicle pilots are set to start in England from spring 2026.

The Automated Vehicles Act will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers, and they will undergo rigorous safety tests before being allowed on roads.

By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries.