Driverless vehicles are being tested for the first time in Britain
Driverless vehicles which ferry customers from shopping centre car parks to the shops are being tested for the first time in Britain.Visitors to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol are being given the opportunity to sit in the autonomous 'pods' and get an experience of the future this week.The shuttles have been tested before, most notably at the Olympic Park in London - but always with a dedicated engineer on board.These trials are being used to assess how the vehicles operate when there is no staff inside - but still contain members of the public.The amazing machines navigate around people, pushchairs, bikes and pets before arriving safely at the doors to the shops.A successful test was recently completed at a nearby airfield, paving the way for the experiment at the shopping centre.It is hoped that the 'pods' could be the way of the future for transport around areas like shopping centres and pedestrianised zones.The vehicles have been made by the Capri consortium, as part of a research and development project.The trial is being backed by South Gloucestershire Council.Leader Toby Savage said it was an "important step" in changing the way people travel and think about automated transport.He said: "Capri brings together a number of high-tech businesses and organisations which are providing excellent opportunities for the development and growth of CAV services in the region."The trial which is taking place at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway is an important step towards transforming the way people travel and perceive automated transport."The trial is running until January 26.
Driverless vehicles which ferry customers from shopping centre car parks to the shops are being tested for the first time in Britain.Visitors to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol are being given the opportunity to sit in the autonomous 'pods' and get an experience of the future this week.The shuttles have been tested before, most notably at the Olympic Park in London - but always with a dedicated engineer on board.These trials are being used to assess how the vehicles operate when there is no staff inside - but still contain members of the public.The amazing machines navigate around people, pushchairs, bikes and pets before arriving safely at the doors to the shops.A successful test was recently completed at a nearby airfield, paving the way for the experiment at the shopping centre.It is hoped that the 'pods' could be the way of the future for transport around areas like shopping centres and pedestrianised zones.The vehicles have been made by the Capri consortium, as part of a research and development project.The trial is being backed by South Gloucestershire Council.Leader Toby Savage said it was an "important step" in changing the way people travel and think about automated transport.He said: "Capri brings together a number of high-tech businesses and organisations which are providing excellent opportunities for the development and growth of CAV services in the region."The trial which is taking place at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway is an important step towards transforming the way people travel and perceive automated transport."The trial is running until January 26.
