Self-driving cars get motoring in new Manchester trial project

People in Manchester have helped researchers test out new self-driving car technology.

The Great Self Driving Exploration at the Etihad campus gave visitors a chance to take a ride in the cutting edge vehicles and give feedback on the experience.

The weekend event was stage in partnership with Britain Thinks, who are involved with the research and how these vehicles could help meet transport needs in cities like Manchester. The Auto-Shuttle and Auto-Pod vehicles were provided by autonomous technology company Aurrigo.

It’s part of an innovative study lead by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint Department for Transport and Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy unit.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “This innovation has the potential to completely reform how we get from A to B, making our future journeys easier, more environmentally friendly, and most importantly, safer, while creating thousands of high skilled job opportunities right across the UK.”