Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with manufacturers on helping to ensure that (a) disabled people and (b) people with accessibility needs are served adequately by automated vehicles.

Ministers and officials regularly engage with the self-driving vehicle industry to understand opportunities and emerging best practice in respect of accessibility. For example, Waymo, a leading autonomous ride-hailing company and a member of the Department’s Automated Vehicles Industry Working Group, works with disability advocates through the Waymo Accessibility Network to involve disabled people in their work to improve access to their services.

A range of individuals and companies, including vehicle manufacturers, submitted responses to the Automated Passenger Services (APS) Statutory Instrument Consultation that closed at the end of September. The consultation sought views on the types of information that permit holders should publish on how any new service is meeting the needs of older and disabled people. These responses are being analysed, and we intend to issue a government response in 2026.