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London seeks trials of Google's robo-cars

Deputy Mayor for Transport Isabel Dedring says Google has met city officials

The Greater London Authority has approached Google to seek local trials of the company's autonomous cars.

A Press Association report quotes Deputy mayor for transport Isabel Dedring as telling an unidentified event that her office approached Google to discuss trials and has spoken to the company half a dozen times over three years.

“We met them a few weeks ago to see whether they would do trials here,” she told the event.

The Authority's thinking is that it is best to be on Google's radar before it starts trials beyond the United States, not least because widespread use of autonomous cars impacts the design of roads. Smaller, autonomous cars, she said, could make it possible to build smaller road tunnels that cost less to construct.

Dedring is also reported to have said she is personally sceptical about autonomous cars, telling the event that a traffic jam is a traffic jam regardless of whether people are driving cars or riding them. ®

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