IoL publishes its consultation response to the automated vehicles regulatory framework

The Institute of Licensing (IoL) has warned that the government’s emerging regulatory framework for self‑driving vehicles could sideline local authorities and weaken long‑standing passenger‑safety protections, raising fresh concerns as ministers move ahead with plans to deploy automated transport across the UK.

In its consultation submission, the IoL argues that proposals for regulating automated vehicles—set out in the government’s Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework consultation—risk creating a system in which local authorities have limited influence over how automated passenger services operate in their areas.

The IoL highlights that, under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, automated passenger vehicles (APVs) are exempt from traditional taxi and private hire licensing. The IoL says this exemption could erode decades of locally set safety, accessibility and service‑quality standards, leaving councils without the tools they need to protect passengers.

The IoL stresses that while the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) must seek local consent before APVs operate as taxis, the current proposals do not guarantee that this consent will carry real decision‑making weight.

The concerns mirror those raised in the IoL’s earlier response to the government’s proposed automated passenger services permitting scheme, where it called for “clear local consent and robust safeguards” to be embedded in the national model. In that response, the IoL warned that without meaningful local oversight, automated services could be introduced in ways that undermine public confidence and compromise protections for vulnerable passengers.

Across both consultations, the IoL has consistently emphasised:

• The need for genuine local control over whether, where and how automated services operate.
• The importance of maintaining or strengthening passenger‑safety standards, rather than creating a two‑tier system where automated services face lighter regulation.
• The requirement for clear accountability, including robust incident‑reporting duties and transparent lines of responsibility.
• The need for strong protections for vulnerable users, including disabled passengers, children and those travelling alone.

In its responses, the IoL is urging the government to revise its approach to ensure that automated services are introduced safely and with public trust. Its recommendations include:

• A locally controlled permitting system that allows councils to set conditions, monitor compliance and refuse or revoke consent where necessary.
• Robust in‑use regulation, ensuring operators remain accountable throughout the life of a service.
• Clear accessibility requirements, embedded from the outset rather than added later.
• Transparent incident‑investigation processes, with clear expectations for data sharing and regulatory cooperation.