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Could self-driving vehicles be on their way to Greater Manchester?

TfGM suggests 24-hour system on decommissioned rail corridor

A Waymo self-driving vehicle arrives at its destination in Los Angeles (Image: Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Self-driving vehicles could be introduced to Greater Manchester under bold plans backed by Andy Burnham's office.

An 'autonomous vehicle' trial in Bolton has been included in Transport for Greater Manchester's (TfGM) new strategy, which confirms its priorities for how residents will get around up to 2050. The plan calls for a '24/7 self-driving system running, on a decommissioned railway corridor' between Royal Bolton Hospital and the town's interchange to be 'delivered'.

A second phase where self-driving vehicles run from the hospital to Logistics North, an enormous office park near the M61, should be 'developed', the blueprint adds.

TfGM officials have stressed the project will not see self-driving cars hit Bolton's streets in a similar manner to autonomous Waymo taxis in the US. However, the government plans to allow regulated 'robotaxi' trials from next year which could pave the way for their introduction.

Officials also say the Bolton project is said to be in its very early stages, with no firm deadline for its opening set. A Bolton council spokesperson said: "This [project] would, in part, use decommissioned railway lines with the potential to expand and integrate the service further into other parts of Bolton.

"The system is based on small autonomous electric vehicles providing private and comfortable on-demand, 24/7 service, with lighter infrastructure requirements. It can be built and operated 50pc cheaper than existing rail-based services, requires 50pc less space and reduces emissions to zero."

It's not the only new technology in TfGM's plans, though. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands traffic lights could use AI to help congestion flow, and drones could also be used to spot bottlenecks to identify solutions more quickly.

The measures are some of many mooted in the new draft of the Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2050. It wants to see a fundamental shift in travel habits, so half of all journeys in Greater Manchester are taken by car, down from 60pc now.