Driverless Vehicles: Disability
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) screen-reader compatibility, (b) audio navigation cues, (c) wheelchair-accessible vehicles and (d) other accessibility features will be mandatory requirements for the licensing of autonomous passenger services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
Certain requirements relating to accessibility of Automated Passenger Services (APS) are set out in the Automated Vehicles Act, which was agreed by Parliament in 2024. In considering whether to grant a permit, the appropriate national authority must have regard to whether and to what extent its granting is likely to lead to an improvement in the understanding of how APS should best be designed for, and provided to, older or disabled passengers. Permit holders will also be required to publish reports on how their services are meeting the needs and requirements of older and disabled passengers.
In October, I chaired a roundtable on accessibility considerations for automated passenger-carrying services with individuals from advocate groups and accessibility organisations. The discussion included the importance of public trust and digital inclusion. We will continue to engage with stakeholders as we progress with the introduction of the APS permitting scheme in Spring 2026 and beyond.
The Government’s consultation on the APS permitting scheme closed at the end of September. In the consultation, we sought input on what information should be required to be published by permit holders on how the service is meeting the needs of older and disabled people. Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
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