That’s one of the recommendations in a report released yesterday (15 March) by the House of Lords science and technology committee, entitled ‘Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: The future?’.
The report (click the link below) stresses the need for “a wider transport strategy that places the development and implementation of CAV in the context of wider policy goals, such as increased use of public transport, and the reduction of congestion and pollution”.
Research organisation TRL welcomed the report, describing it as “a positive and reasonable set of recommendations for the government to consider”.
Nick Reed, TRL’s academy director, comments: “It’s refreshing to see the committee recognise that the benefits of connectivity and automation have the potential to transform mobility in a range of sectors including freight, marine and agriculture, going beyond the development of privately owned ‘driverless’ cars.
“CAVs are developing in two distinct ways; fully automated vehicles operating in increasingly sophisticated environments, and vehicles in which automated systems take responsibility for greater parts of the task at hand, whether that be driving, harvesting crops or delivering parcels. The opportunity for CAVs is almost endless; there are so many sectors where they can have an immediate and positive impact.”
However, speaking on the Radio 5 Live breakfast show yesterday, the Road Haulage Association’s Rod McKenzie warned that the UK road network will not support HGV platooning.
“Our motorways are peppered with exit and entry points – causing queues for vehicles trying to join and leave the motorway will simply create even more congestion.”
He adds: “The haulage industry is increasingly IT led and we embrace technology – but not at the expense of safety or practicality. The experts have it all to prove as far as we are concerned.
“All road users – not just transport operators have to be okay with this. We’re not there yet but we are talking to the truck manufacturers and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, and are following it all with keen interest and a healthy dose of caution.”