Starting in Jan. 2015, the United Kingdom's public roads will welcome driverless cars.
According to BBC News, the U.K. government announced that cities may begin to make their best offer to host trial runs of the new technology. The ministers have also decided that a review of the U.K. driving regulations is necessary before these cars hit the streets.
Though the trials are expected to start in 2015, the U.K. Department for Transport originally set the testing phase for the end of 2013. Researchers, including a University of Oxford group, have stated that legal and insurance concerns are the only remaining roadblocks for driverless cars.
"Today's announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than six months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society," Business Secretary Vince Cable told reporters from an automotive engineering firm in the Midlands.
In the U.S., Google's driverless car has already logged 300,000 miles on the road, leading Calif., Nev. and Fla. to approve tests for the self-driving vehicles, BBC News reported. Likewise, Sweden has approved the city of Gothenburg to test 100 of Volvo's driverless cars in 2017.
Cable said the U.K. government will set up a £10 million fund for the necessary research. Cities have until Oct. 1 to make their interest in hosting the driverless car tests known and three will ultimately be chosen for 18 to 36 months of trial runs.
"This competition for funding has the potential to establish the UK as the global hub for the development and testing of driverless vehicles in real-world urban environments, helping to deepen our understanding of the impact on road users and wider society," Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, told the Guardian. "The ability to test driverless cars at scale, when married to the UK's unique strengths in transport technologies and urban planning, will also attract further investment, helping to establish new design and manufacturing supply chains, driving forward UK economic growth."
