Driverless cars set for Budget boost
Chancellor set to propose changes to regulation to help the UK ‘take full advantage’ of emerging technology
Credit: Ben Birchall/PA
The government will give the go-ahead to a new generation of driverless cars at this week's Budget, Philip Hammond has indicated.
The chancellor will unveil regulatory changes that allow manufacturers to apply to test the vehicles. Hammond said the change could mean driverless cars are on the road by 2021.
In an article for The Sun, he wrote: "This was once just an inventor's dream, but it will soon become a reality. We can stand by and watch this happen, or we can embrace it and take full advantage of what is in front of us. My Budget will include plans to make Britain a world leader in this area – the best place for developers to make and road test prototype vehicles."
He is also expected to announce a crackdown on how much plastic retailers are allowed to sell in a bid to clean up the oceans.
Hammond will announce a call for evidence on Wednesday and will describe the UK as a “world leader”.
This article originally appeared on PublicTechnology sister publication PoliticsHome
Share this page
Printer-friendly version
Tags
Categories
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM READERS
Please login to post a comment or register for a free account.
Related Articles
As much as half of government’s near-£5bn annual spend on IT is dedicated to the maintenance of ageing or unsupported tech. A range of digital leaders tell PublicTechnology about the...
Lord Evans tells MPs that personal messaging platforms should only be used by ministers if doing so can be properly regulated
Department plans discovery exercise to explore potential use of new tools and data sources
Chief executive Julie Lennard cites digitisation as among the agency’s biggest achievements of the past 12 months