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REMOTE DRIVER CAR RENTAL SERVICE LAUNCHES IN MILTON KEYNES

Published
6 days ago

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Media caption,

Watch a remotely driven rental car in action in Milton Keynes

By Pete Cooper
BBC News


A car rental service that delivers a remotely driven vehicle to the user has
been launched in a city.

The Fetch vehicle system has been tested in Milton Keynes for 18 months and will
now be available to customers.

For now, all of the cars are delivered with a safety driver in the front of the
vehicle who can take over the controls if necessary.

Chief executive Koosha Kaveh said: "It's driverless but not autonomous - yet."

Imperium Drive, the company behind the service where cars are controlled by an
office-based operator, claimed it was the first of its kind in Europe.

Although the cars currently have a safety driver, the firm hopes they will no
longer be needed after about 18 months of further testing.



The remote operator of the car has a 360-degree view of the roads using cameras
built into the vehicle, as well as anti-crash safety systems in the operating
software.

Customers can hire the electric cars through an app and although they drive them
as normal, the vehicles are delivered by a remote operator to any location
within a four-mile (6.4km) radius of Milton Keynes city centre.

When the rental period expires, the operator resumes control and brings the
vehicle back to base.

Image source, Imperium Drive
Image caption,
The office-based driverless car operator has a 360-degree camera view and an
in-built safety system

The cars have been tested on the city's roads for the last 18 months, completing
more than 1,000 miles (1,609km) of journeys without a single collision, Imperium
Drive said.

Mr Kaveh said: "There's still a human involved, but they're sitting in a control
centre piloting the vehicle in the same way you would a drone.

"When fully autonomous, we think this system has the potential to replace
private car ownership in the UK."


 * UK's first driverless bus begins passenger service
 * Ford launches hands-free driving on UK motorways
 * The tech helping driverless cars see round corners



However, a spokesman for the RAC said it was concerned that remotely driving a
vehicle distances the driver from the potential road safety consequences "in a
video game-like manner".

Simon Williams added: "Although the remote driver has a reasonable view in front
and around them, by not being present in the vehicle they are - like it or not -
somewhat disconnected from the reality of actually being behind the wheel.

"There's also a risk they could be distracted by something in the room where
they are located.

"We also fear there could be serious consequences when this scheme is rolled out
more widely and if the delivery distances were to be lengthened to take in
faster roads."

The Fetch car system has the backing of both the government and Milton Keynes
City Council, which sees rental systems like this as a way of reducing the
number of cars on the roads.

The council said it was "supportive of any new technologies that can
revolutionise the way we travel, making it more sustainable".



"Driverless cars is just one of the solutions we're looking at along with larger
shuttles that use similar technology. The idea is to make shareable transport
more attractive," the authority said.



Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story?
Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830


RELATED TOPICS

 * Driverless cars
 * Milton Keynes


MORE ON THIS STORY

 * The tech helping driverless cars see round corners
   
   Published
   28 March
   
   

 * Milton Keynes to hold major driverless car trial
   
   Published
   3 January 2022
   
   

 * Self-driving vehicles to be trialled in city
   
   Published
   27 May 2021
   
   


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