Driverless cars should be allowed on West Midlands roads, according to a candidate standing to become the region’s first elected mayor.
Letting the West Midlands lead the way in testing self-driving cars would provide a boost to employers, according to Conservative candidate Andy Street.
He is calling on the Government to work with major automotive companies in the region to ensure advanced stages of testing can happen safely on selected roads.
Jaguar Land Rover is among firms investing millions into developing so-called autonomous vehicles.
Mr Street said: “Making our roads safely accessible for the testing of driverless vehicles will be a major step. Of course, safety is paramount but this desperately needs to happen and I will press Government on this.
“No legislation is required and no major spend on the part of Government – it’s simply a case of national and local Government coming together with industry here in the West Midlands to make this a reality.”
Carmakers say that autonomous vehicles will soon become a major part of the industry - and the Government says the market is worth £900 billion worldwide.
Vehicles would be fitted with sensors allowing them to see obstacles, transmitters allowing them to communicate with each other and sophisticated computer systems.
Many new cars already on the market have similar technology, such as systems to help motorists reverse into parking spaces.
And many experts say driverless cars would be safer than existing vehicles, because they would communicate with each other to ensure they kept a safe distance apart.
Jaguar Land Rover last year announced plans for a fleet of more than 100 research vehicles over the next four years to test autonomous and connected technology.
Mr Street said he was also calling on the Government to back the expansion of Jaguar Land Rover in Coventry, and ensuring the Government’s Industrial Strategy, to be published next week by Business Secretary Greg Clark, helps create the supply chain in the West Midlands to develop self-driving cars.
He said: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here in the West Midlands to exploit what I genuinely believe could be an economic miracle.
“We’re already the centre of the UK automotive sector – this is our opportunity to become the global centre for design and manufacturing of autonomous, connected, electric vehicles.
“Major international players like Jaguar Land Rover and Bosch, companies that will lead the way in these technologies, along with world-class research and development organisations like the Warwick Manufacturing Group, clearly recognise the potential.
“The West Midlands needs to step up to the challenge and match their ambition. We must not let this chance slip through our hands.
“I know many of the major employers want a new era in skills provision and transport investment. They’re not alone in this and as Mayor I am confident I will be able to deliver this.”
He added: “In the longer term, Government needs to invest in the supply chain and energy provision as part of the Industrial Strategy.
“As Mayor I will champion the needs of our major employers here in the West Midlands to make sure Government can play its part in enabling growth.”
Other candidates standing for mayor include Labour’s Sion Simon, Liberal Democrat Beverley Nielsen, Green candidate James Burn and UKIP’s Pete Durnell.
