NSW Government passes legislation to allow trials of autonomous vehicles as Victoria announces CityLink trial

NSW Government has passed legislation to allow for the trial of automated vehicles on both city and regional roads across the state.

The new laws will allow Roads, Maritime and Freight Minister Melinda Pavey to approve trials; applicants must have “adequate insurance provisions” and safety management plans in place.

It comes as the first trial of autonomous vehicles in the state gets underway, with the government partnering with HMI Technologies, the NRMA, Telstra, and IAG for a two year trial of a driverless shuttle bus at Sydney Olympic Park.

The first stage of the trial will take place at the Newington Armory, allowing for tests and safety checks to be conducted in an off-road environment, before the trial extends to the roads at Sydney Olympic Park for public use next year.

“We want to use the trial to help develop the systems that will enable automated vehicles to be connected to our infrastructure, like traffic lights and to our customers through their devices and applications. It’s the combination of connectivity and automation that will provide the safety and mobility benefits we are looking for,” Pavey said. Read more

Startup Daily - 14 Aug 2017