ALL THINGS LICENSING
self-driving cars may only be possible on motorways by 2026, there are likely to be a few more years until the more difficult to navigate and busier town and city centre streets, which are the cornerstone of the existing trade, face competition.
So how would a Permit Scheme work?
Permits would be issued by a National Authority, which would issue permits to a service provider in an area to operate a particular type of vehicle. As with the current legislation, conditions may be attached to permits and it would be a civil offence not to comply with conditions.
Permits would be granted to services which would be provided on the assumption they would otherwise operate in a way which required a taxi or private hire vehicle licence.
There would be a requirement for the National Authority to consult with the relevant licensing authority of the area in which the service is to operate, and a requirement to consult with the traffic authority and emergency services for that area.
Licensing authorities would have the ability to object to the granting of a permit in their area, but would need to give reasons for their objection. If the licensing authority failed to give reasons for the objection, or failed to respond to a consultation request from the National Authority within six weeks, then the authority it would be deemed to have given consent.
To Conclude:
Obviously the AVB also contains a number of other technical aspects about autonomous vehicle technology which I am not qualified to review. However, in respect of interaction with the current licensing regime, it is clear that self-driving passenger services would sit outside the present law with a new, national permit scheme being introduced.
Furthermore, the existing licensing law will continue unless replaced or repealed and it is likely that if
PHTM APRIL 2024
Certainly, there is an expectation in the AVB that this will be the position as the local authority is to be a consultee on any permit to operate an autonomous service, although authorities will likely need guidance about the criteria they can use to comment on any such application.
In addition, public attitude to new technology and potential cost will also likely pose considerable barriers for many services. Personally speaking, it will be some time until I feel comfortable stepping into a car driven by a computer, and for many there is a certain enjoyment about either driving or being driven by someone else.
As such it is likely that there will remain a significant demand for existing services. Ultimately, taxi and private hire drivers in licensed vehicles play a considerable part of a customers’ journey where customers rely on the drivers’ experience and assistance as part of the service. This would of course be lost if the driver were absent in an autonomous vehicle.
Looking to the future as we begin to get to grips with the idea and rapidly evolving world of AI and autonomous vehicles, there is no more important time to be ‘in the know’ about licensing issues affecting the trade and I would again encourage members of the trade to join the Institute of Licensing.
Looking to a more immediate (and perhaps more certain) future, it is about this time of year where I start looking forward to the PHTM EXPO in May and I look forward to seeing as many members of the trade as possible on the Institute of Licensing stand.
In the meantime, full details of the IoL available at:
www.instituteoflicensing.org
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