London - Hi-tech drones are already being geared up to send parcels by air, but soon driverless delivery vans could also be a common sight.
Government-funded scientists are to test a self-driving electric van on runs between warehouses, shops and homes.
Industry experts say the pilot study could open the door to ‘around the clock’ courier services, while cutting congestion.
It could also help to reduce road accidents involving vans, which were up 11 percent in a year to 14 043 in 2014.
Project leader Dr Nick Reed, from the Transport Research Laboratory, said: “It’s about demonstrating the concept and then thinking about how that changes the business model for logistics and deliveries. It means you can do things around the clock.”
He also said driverless vans could improve safety because “human error” was a factor in most road accidents.
The self-driving vehicle – potentially the size of a three ton Mercedes Sprinter – will be tested on a route between 1.6 and 8km long through Greenwich in south east London, The Sunday Times reported. Coolin Desai, from the accountancy firm PwC, said driverless vans would perhaps be “easier” to use when making deliveries between warehouse and distribution centres.
HOME DELIVERY PROBLEMS
But he had doubts about home deliveries, saying: “What then happens if you want to communicate with whoever delivered it? What happens if you don’t want it, or it’s late or you want to send it back?”
Freight Transport Association spokesman James Hookham also said 24-hour deliveries to homes might not be realistic.
He said: “The reason you can’t do 24/7 deliveries isn’t because of the driver and the van, it’s because invariably there is no one there to take the goods in.”
The trial - due to be run next year - will also involve the public being carried in driverless vehicles between North Greenwich Tube station and the nearby O2 Arena.
It comes after Amazon last month unveiled its vision of sending parcels using drones.
The retailer has said the sight of flying packages will one day be “as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road”.
In a separate trial, also in Greenwich, self-driving robots will be used to deliver groceries for less than £1 (R22.40).
Daily Mail