George Osborne has announced that there will be trials for driverless cars on UK motorways next year and hails the technology as the 'most fundamental change to transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine.'
The trials will take place on local roads before moving onto A roads and motorways. This news comes amongst plans that the Chancellor is looking to increase the fuel duty of up to 2p a litre which is likely to strike fury among UK motorists. Osborne is also mulling over a further hike on on insurance tax, which could see drivers pay an extra £80 on their premiums per year.
Speaking on the driverless trials however, Osborne said that he wants Britain to be a "world leader" in new technologies. The trial will be supervised by Highways England and will only be conducted at quiet times where they can close of a lane dedicated to testing the new technology.
Commenting on the trial Osborne said: "Driverless cars could represent the most fundamental change to transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine. Naturally we need to ensure safety, and that’s what the trials we are introducing will test."
It's not just cars that are soon to be driverless though, lorries will see the same treatment with trials also happening in Blighty in due course. It is reported that a section of the M6 near Carlisle has been chosen as a potential test route.