Calls to Revive Driverless Car Regulations in Jersey
Jersey should reconsider its decision to abandon draft laws regulating driverless cars, according to an electric car hire company and environmental advocates. The government had previously spent between £35,000 and £40,000 on drafting such legislation, as noted in a recent report.
Nick Perchard-Rees, CEO of electric car hire company EVIe, emphasised the need for policy frameworks that would enable trials of driverless vehicles.
"We're not asking for something huge to be done here. We're asking for the policy to be put in place that allows trials to be run. That data can then be used for our incumbent ministers to make decisions and data-driven decisions."
Environmental groups have advocated for the government to shift infrastructure priorities away from "car-centric" models, suggesting that driverless cars could support this transition.
Kate Huntington, who leads the Better Journeys initiative in Jersey, highlighted the potential benefits of driverless cars in reducing car ownership.
"If we have driverless cars, that allows people to remove themselves from car ownership... then yeah, absolutely, I think that's the direction to go, and I'd be very, very supportive of that."
However, she expressed reservations about the current governmental approach.
"I'm just not confident that that's the current angle being taken."
Concerns from the Taxi Community
Within the taxi sector, there are concerns regarding the safety and accessibility implications of automated vehicles. Mick Tostevin, secretary of the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association, conveyed mixed opinions about the adoption of driverless cars but acknowledged that their introduction seems inevitable.
"Currently there appears to have been a fair amount of accidents and incidents surrounding automated vehicles, and questions from a taxi point of view, such as handling luggage, wheelchair and passengers with disabilities, etc.
A lot of our roads are very narrow and meeting other vehicles, cyclists, horses, dog walkers, etc, could present significant issues."
Trials conducted in other regions, including Orkney, aim to collect data to address these concerns and inform future policies.
Next Steps and Engagement
As discussions continue, stakeholders emphasize the importance of data-driven decision-making and infrastructure adaptation to accommodate emerging transportation technologies.
For ongoing updates, follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook, or send story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
