Mass uptake of driverless vehicles could hit bus, taxi and company car journeys the hardest, but have much less of an impact on active travel according to a new study.
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Findings from the ‘StreetWise’ self driving trial in south London – which concluded earlier this year – found that of the 110 participants taking part 69% would expect to use buses less, 83% taxis less and 85% company cars less if self driving, multi passenger vehicles were available to them.
But over two thirds of participants said they would use bicycles ‘about the same’ and three quarters said they would maintain their current level of walking. Just over four in 10 said they would continue to use their own vehicles at around the same level if they had access to a driverless vehicle, with nearly six in 10 saying their use of trains would remain broadly similar.
The study was carried out by TRL on behalf of Innovate UK and sought the views of participants taking part in a driverless car trial led by the technology company Five AI in adapted Ford Mondeos around a 13 mile route in London.
Most of those taking part also said they would use a self driving multi passenger vehicle service for commuting – either occasionally (43%) or regularly (also 43%) – for business (56% occasionally and 37% regularly) and for leisure 60% occasionally and 28% regularly).
However one third of participants stated that they would never take a child in a self driving vehicle.
TRL’s chief scientist David Hynd said: “Moving forwards, it is essential that the wider industry comes together to build on what we have achieved so far, so that we not only learn from our combined findings but also we can build the framework whereby we harmonise the standards for a future that includes automated vehicles.”
TP Weekly News asked David what self driving cars could mean for the UK in five or 10 years’ time. “There is huge potential for improvements in safety and the delivery of initiatives like Vision Zero for all road users, not just those sat in the vehicle,” he replied.
But there is another benefit in term of driving more efficiency, he added. “Autonomous vehicles can and will drive very efficiently and if they are connected to the infrastructure they could drive much slower towards a set of traffic lights and arrive just as they turn green.”
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