Automated Vehicles Act 2024

Chapter 2 Licensing of operators for vehicle use without user-in-charge

12 Power to establish operator licensing scheme

(1) The Secretary of State may, by regulations (“operator licensing regulations”), make provision—

(a) for the licensing of persons as no-user-in-charge operators;

(b) imposing requirements on those persons in connection with no-user-in-charge journeys or the vehicles that undertake them;

(c) for the keeping of a public register of those persons (and associated information).

(2) A “no-user-in-charge journey” is a journey by a vehicle with an authorised no-user-in-charge feature during which (at any point)—

(a) that feature is engaged, or

(b) there is no individual in the vehicle who is exercising control of it.

(3) For the purposes of this Part, a no-user-in-charge journey is “overseen” by a licensed no-user-in-charge operator if the operator is, in respect of the journey, subject to requirements imposed under subsection (1)(b).

(4) If the Secretary of State makes operator licensing regulations, the Secretary of State must do so in a way that is designed to secure, so far as the Secretary of State considers reasonably practicable, that the following objectives are met.

(5) The objectives are—

(a) that a licensed no-user-in-charge operator should have general responsibility for the detection of, and response to, problems arising during a no-user-in-charge journey overseen by the operator, and

(b) that a licensed no-user-in-charge operator should be—

(i) of good repute,

(ii) of good financial standing, and

(iii) capable of competently discharging any requirements imposed on it for the purposes of paragraph (a).

13 Further provision about operator licensing

(1) This section makes further provision about operator licensing regulations.

(2) The regulations may, in particular, make provision for and about the grant, retention, variation, renewal, expiry, suspension or withdrawal of licences.

(3) That includes provision—

(a) about the form and content of applications for licences (or their renewal);

(b) about fees payable in respect of—

(i) applications for licences (or their renewal), or

(ii) the grant, retention or renewal of licences;

(c) about the notification of decisions;

(d) about reviews of, or appeals against, decisions;

(e) conferring functions on the Secretary of State or on traffic commissioners.

(4) The regulations may impose on a licensed no-user-in-charge operator a requirement to comply with any conditions that are attached to an individual licence.