Self-driving pods tested

Autonomous cars will be tested on the streets of London starting in July. The shuttle pods, which are currently used to ferry passengers to terminal five at Heathrow Airport, are part of a NZ$18 million project to convert the pods into “fully driverless shuttles”. They will run on pavements in residential areas in Greenwich, and will pass the North Greenwich tube station and O2 Arena. The trial will assess the “public’s willingness to use autonomous vehicles in built-up areas”, according to the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). Along with the agency, a consortium of British firms, including Heathrow Enterprises, is involved in the project. Professor Nick Reed, academy director at TRL, says: “Each company brings a great deal of experience to the project, which will prove valuable in helping us to understand how the public and industry will adapt to the use of automated vehicles. If the trials prove successful, we expect these iconic vehicles to become a familiar sight in many cities around the world”. Other trials taking place as part of the trial include autonomous valet parking and deliveries.