London's first driverless cars* will hit the streets of Greenwich later this year, and we're all invited to take part in the experiment. This is the first public trial of autonomous road vehicles anywhere in the UK.
The Greenwich Automated Transport Environment project (or GATEway) is an £8million research project to see whether Brits will take to autonomous vehicles.
Those selected to be part in the trial will get to ride the driverless vehicle, and will be asked to provide feedback on the experience. Results will help both industry and government understand the implications of this motoring witchcraft.
The six-person, fully electric pods will take passengers around various parts of Greenwich. The geographical extent of the trial has yet to be decided, but the wide boulevards around The O2 seem a likely testing ground. Although driverless, a steward will sit in each car... just in case.
The project is also seeking feedback from those who know Greenwich well. Which bits of the area do you think that autonomous vehicles will find particularly challenging? Where would they be most useful? This mapping tool can be used to air your views.
We'd like to suggest a new London triathlon of alternative transport: catch a cable car from the Royal Docks, hop into a driverless car, then climb over the roof of The O2.
Visit the GATEway website to register your interest in the trials.
*Unless you count the Heathrow pods, but they're on guided tracks.
