In its paper, the Committee acknowledged the work that has been done to prepare the groundwork for a new legal framework – which included a comprehensive review undertaken by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission into road traffic legislation and subsequent recommendations for reform – but said it was “deeply disappointing that the government will not commit to legislating in this parliament” to implement those recommendations.
The Committee said: “The self-driving vehicle sector is a British success story. We were impressed, unfailingly so, by the energy, creativity, and expertise of all those we met, whether from industry, academia, government or somewhere in between. We have a competitive advantage, and we must maintain it. To do this the government must bring forward and pass comprehensive legislation in the next parliamentary session to put in place the robust regulatory framework it promised. Failing to do so will do significant and lasting damage both to the UK’s self-driving vehicle industry and to this country’s reputation as a trailblazer.”
“We recommend that legislation be brought forward as a matter of urgency, with an expectation that any legislation will have to be regularly reviewed and updated subsequently as technology evolves,” it said.