TO BE PUBLISHED December 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for connected and autonomous mobility services in the UK, as implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 - which establishes the legal framework for the authorisation and regulation of self-driving vehicles and services in Great Britain - moves towards full implementation in 2027.
Areas for discussion include development of the regulatory and safety framework, the transition from supervised trials to wider deployment, implications for existing transport services and road users, and the conditions needed for services to operate safely and effectively at scale.
Overall, it will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider key questions that remain as the framework develops, including evidence needed before services are authorised, how safety should be assessed in real-world conditions and monitored once vehicles are in use, and the allocation of responsibility between manufacturers, software developers, operators and other parties.
Delegates will also consider what can be learned from current trials and supervised services as operators prepare for deployment without a safety driver, alongside implications of the Government’s developing secondary legislation and recently consulted-on Statement of Safety Principles.
Further sessions will examine wider consequences of deployment for passengers, road users, workers and existing transport markets. We expect discussion to include approaches to accessibility and passenger assistance, public confidence and transparency around safety performance, access to operational and incident data, insurance and liability, and potential effects on taxi, private-hire, freight and other transport services, alongside questions around investment, commercial viability and routes to scaling new services.
The conference will also examine how national regulation will interact with local transport responsibilities as automated services develop in different operating environments. Delegates will consider the role and capacity of local and combined authorities, consenting and permitting arrangements, implications for roads and transport networks, infrastructure and connectivity requirements, and how experience from early deployment can inform decisions on the pace, location and form of wider adoption.
Implementation, regulation, authorisation & licensing
Attendees will consider the working in practice of the regulatory framework as implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act progresses towards 2027, including the sequencing of secondary legislation, authorisation and licensing arrangements, and the respective roles of national and local bodies.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- implementation: priorities for remaining secondary legislation - sequencing legal, regulatory and operational milestones - readiness for full implementation in 2027
- approval & authorisation:
- evidence and assessment required before deployment - vehicle approval and certification requirements
- continuing responsibilities once vehicles are in use - requirements for authorised self-driving entities
- licensing: arrangements for no-user-in-charge operators - conditions attached to licences - oversight of operators once services are running
- local consent: role of local and combined authorities - grounds for granting or withholding consent - capacity, resources and access to information
- passenger services: automated passenger service permits - defining service areas and operating conditions - interaction between national authorisation and local consent
- responsibilities: allocation across manufacturers, software developers, fleet operators and service providers - coordination between regulators and delivery bodies
- regulatory approach:
- consistency across different operating environments and use cases - forthcoming restrictions on the marketing and description of automated vehicles
- scope for proportionate variation in requirements according to the type of service, level of risk and operating environment
Safety, public confidence, data & insurance
Further discussion will focus on the evidence needed to demonstrate safety before deployment, how performance should be monitored once services are operating, and the information and accountability arrangements needed when incidents or failures occur.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- safety principles: application of the competent and careful driving standard - evidence needed to demonstrate compliance - questions around comparison with human driving
- safety assessment: system and vehicle performance in real-world conditions - treatment of unusual and changing risks - evidence required before deployment without a safety driver
- in-use oversight: safety metrics and reporting duties - monitoring performance over time - thresholds for regulatory intervention, suspension or withdrawal of authorisation
- incidents: investigation and learning following collisions or system failures - sharing findings across operators and regulators - responsibilities for remedial action
- data access: operational and post-collision information - access for regulators and insurers - transparency, governance and privacy
- cybersecurity: resilience of vehicles, fleets, remote operation and supporting systems - alignment with relevant international requirements - response to system-level threats
- insurance & liability: implications for claims and underwriting - determining responsibility between users, operators, manufacturers and other parties - clarity where responsibility is shared
- public confidence: transparency over safety performance and incidents - communication of system capabilities and limitations - engagement with passengers and other road users
Trials, deployment & commercial development
Sessions will assess what can be learned from trials and supervised services as operators consider routes towards wider deployment, and the conditions under which connected and autonomous mobility services can become viable across different transport settings.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- trials & pilots:
- lessons from passenger, public transport, freight and logistics projects - experience from supervised autonomous passenger services in London
- evidence from different operating environments - assessing where current trials provide sufficient evidence, and where further testing and operational experience is still needed
- transition: moving from supervised operation to services without a safety driver - regulatory and operational readiness - sequencing further stages of deployment
- use cases: applications in passenger transport, freight, delivery and specialist operations - assessing where automated services may add value - suitability across different markets and locations
- commercial models: operating costs and routes to sustainable services - fleet scale and utilisation - interaction with existing transport provision
- investment: conditions for private investment - implications of regulatory certainty and deployment timelines - infrastructure and development costs
- transport markets: effects on taxi and private-hire services, public transport, freight and logistics - competition and integration with existing operators - implications for service provision
- international learning: experience from overseas deployment - relevance of different regulatory and operating models - alignment with international standards
Workforce, accessibility, infrastructure & local delivery
Practical consequences of wider deployment for workers, passengers and road users will be discussed, including local impact and what needs to be in place for services to operate safely, inclusively and effectively.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- workforce: implications for taxi, private-hire, freight and logistics roles - transition and workforce engagement - development of new technical and operational roles
- skills: recruitment and training for remote supervision, fleet management and automated vehicle operations - changing requirements as services scale
- accessibility: passenger assistance currently provided by drivers - boarding, wheelchair securement and emergency support - responsibilities for accessible service design
- vulnerable road users: detection of pedestrians, guide dogs and mobility aids - interaction with cyclists and other road users - evidence needed before unsupervised operation
- infrastructure: connectivity, data and communications requirements - road and streetscape conditions - reliability and resilience of supporting systems
- local delivery: capacity and resources within local and combined authorities - coordination between transport, planning and highways bodies - access to operational information
- geographical access: suitability of services across urban, suburban and rural areas - differences in infrastructure and demand - implications for the pace and location of deployment
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Infrastructure, NI; Department for Transport; Health and Safety Executive; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; HM Revenue and Customs; Home Office; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Ofcom; Office of Rail and Road; Government of Jersey; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
