“This will be another dot com bubble that will burst,” he remarked during a future mobility debate at the ITS (UK) annual summit in Bristol. “The triple revolution of autonomous, shared use, electric vehicles is simply not feasible. There is no consumer desire for it and it’s crowding out the space to do useful things such as spending money on the railways or the buses. It is all pie in the sky.”

He urged transport professionals not to “waste their time and energy” on automated vehicles but to focus their attention on “small things that will make a difference” such as designing good bicycle lanes.

Christian added that driverless vehicles threaten to take people off public transport, leading to worse traffic congestion. He also dismissed the notion that people will be prepared to wait patiently for a shared autonomous vehicle to turn up.

“And if everybody did drive into central areas in autonomous cars, where are the vehicles going to go? This idea that we can dispense with huge multi-storey car parks; it will be precisely the opposite, as these cars will have to go somewhere.”

Driverless vehicles, he added, represent a “dystopian world that I don’t want any part of”.

Christian was speaking as one of two opponents to a motion which proposed that ‘driverless vehicles are the biggest opportunity for a step change in mobility, and therefore it is right that resources and investment are channelled towards them’.

Also opposing the motion was RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding. He began by suggesting that the promotion of driverless vehicles may be an attempt “to get our minds off Brexit”.

He said that driverless cars will not solve traffic jams and congestion “if too many people want to be in the same place at the same time” and that more money should instead be invested in traffic technology systems to tackle problems “before I give up waiting for the first driverless cars to come along”.

Steve added: “I note that the Government has a bold ambition for the country to be the test bed of choice (for driverless vehicles) but is that really what we hope for? We should be hoping for better”, he said, explaining that resolving city centre congestion “at 5pm on a winter’s afternoon” should be more of a pressing priority.

Consultant WSP’s technical director for future mobility Giles Perkins, who supported the motion, had earlier said the UK is “on the cusp of a mobility revolution” that will be “as disruptive as when motorcars first came along”. Autonomous vehicles, he added, will be “as significant as the arrival of the Internet” and that over time “driverless autonomous vehicles will be an intrinsic part of people’s lives”.

Giles said that autonomous vehicles will enable people to do more productive things than driving, improve access for people who currently rely on “expensive taxis and declining bus services” and provide freedom for those who cannot or choose not to drive.

Autonomous vehicles will ultimately reduce the need for parking, increase vehicle utilisation and allow the return of highway space to people in cities, he added. But there will be challenges, Giles admitted. “We don’t want to allow autonomous vehicles to undo what we have been doing with (promoting) walking and cycling.”

Bristol Robotics Laboratory’s deputy director Tony Pipe said that autonomous vehicles have the potential to greatly reduce the number of accidents on the road which can be attributed to drivers not taking the appropriate action at the right time. “Autonomous vehicles don’t get bored, have 360 degree views at all times and can respond up to 10 times faster than human beings,” he explained.

He added that the potential for improving safety with driverless vehicles is huge and that accidents on the road represent the leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year olds around the world.

After hearing the four presentations, ITS (UK)’s connected and autonomous vehicles forum chair Andy Graham invited the speakers to give closing remarks. Giles Perkins concluded: “Why wouldn’t we want our roads to be safer and allow us to be more efficient and more productive?”

Steve Gooding said: “The hype with this technology is creating an impression that it is the answer; but I don’t think it is. There are other things we desperately need to spend money on.”

Tony Pipe said that none of the technology needs to be forced upon people, but described as “exciting” the idea that members of the public could get into vehicles that transport them around autonomously.

Christian Wolmar concluded: “What happens when you stand in front of a driverless car? It has to stop. People in busy towns will think ‘I’m not going to wait for that car’ and why would anyone give priority to a car with no passengers?”

He added: “What happens when two driverless cars meet with no way of getting out? Who reverses first?”

• Within three years, autonomous buses will be operating on the Forth Bridge and self driving taxis tested in London, the Business Secretary Greg Clark has said.

Government’s connected and autonomous vehicles intelligent mobility fund will pay for the trials. It is said that the UK market for connected and autonomous vehicles could be worth £52Bn by 2035.

The Forth trial will see five self driving buses carry up to 42 passengers 22km across the bridge to Edinburgh Park tram and train interchange. London’s autonomous taxi project will involve four vehicles operating around Greenwich.

Further projects announced include ‘ServCity’– the testing of vehicle sensing and autonomy systems in Coventry and the Midlands; ‘Meridian 2’ – the development of a connected vehicle data exchange; and ‘Meridian 3’ – the testing of connected infrastructure for highway intersections, rural roads and controlled parking.

“Autonomous vehicles and their technology will not only revolutionise how we travel, it will open up and improve transport services for those who struggle to access both private and public transport,” Greg Clark said.

(Image: Metamorworks – Shutterstock)