Prospective
(1)The appropriate national authority may grant a person a permit for the provision by the person of automated passenger services.
(2)An “automated passenger service” is a service that consists of the carrying of passengers in a road vehicle that—
(a)is designed or adapted to travel autonomously, or
(b)is being used for a trial with the aim of developing vehicles that are so designed or adapted.
(3)A permit may be granted for either or both of the following purposes—
(a)securing the application of section 83 (disapplication of taxi, private hire vehicle and bus legislation);
(b)satisfying a requirement imposed by regulations under section 12 (licensing of no-user-in-charge operators) in relation to the holding of a permit.
(4)A permit must specify—
(a)the areas in which services may be provided under the permit,
(b)the vehicles (or descriptions of vehicle) in which services may be provided under the permit,
(c)the period for which the permit is valid, and
(d)any conditions subject to which the permit is granted (“permit conditions”).
(5)Permit conditions may take the form of—
(a)further limitations on the services that may be provided under the permit, or
(b)obligations that the permit holder has to fulfil as a condition of holding the permit.
(6)In subsection (2)(a), “travel autonomously” has the same meaning as in Part 1 (see section 1(5)).
Commencement Information
I1S. 82 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 99(1)
(1)Subsections (2) and (3) apply while a permit holder is providing an automated passenger service in an area in which, and in a vehicle in which, services may be provided under the permit.
(2)The vehicle is not to be treated for any purpose as being, or as being used or operated as—
(a)a hackney carriage within the meaning of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 or the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869,
(b)a private hire vehicle within the meaning of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 or Part 2 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976,
(c)a public service vehicle within the meaning of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, or
(d)a hire car within the meaning of section 23 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
(3)The provision of the service is not to be treated as driving, standing or plying for hire with the vehicle for the purposes of section 45 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847.
Commencement Information
I2S. 83 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 99(1)
(1)A permit holder commits an infringement of the permit scheme if the permit holder breaches a permit condition of the sort described in section 82(5)(b).
(2)A permit holder also commits an infringement of the permit scheme if—
(a)the permit holder provides, or offers to provide, a service that consists of the carrying of passengers in a road vehicle,
(b)the permit holder says or does anything that would lead a reasonable passenger (or potential passenger) of the service to think that the service was provided under a permit, and
(c)the service is not such as could be provided under the permit.
(3)Schedule 6 provides for civil sanctions in respect of infringements of the permit scheme.
Commencement Information
I3S. 84 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 99(1)