Autonomous vehicle testing has begun in Manchester through a partnership between Uber, Pony.ai and Verne, according to a TaxiPoint report by Perry Richardson.
The vehicles are currently mapping streets with a safety driver at the wheel. They are not carrying passengers.
Testing comes before passenger trips
The programme uses Pony.ai’s seventh-generation vehicles.
TaxiPoint reports that Transport for Greater Manchester has received no applications to run driverless taxis in the city region. The authority has stressed that public safety must guide the introduction of the technology.
Key details remain unannounced
No date has been given for passenger journeys in Manchester. Fleet size, fares and the area a future service might cover have also not been disclosed.
For local drivers, this is a testing programme; plans for a passenger service remain unconfirmed.
Source: TaxiPoint — original report by Perry Richardson.
Image: AI-generated Fare101 illustration, not a photograph of the Manchester test fleet.