On 20 May, Germany passed new legislation that will allow driverless vehicles, including autonomous taxis, on public roads by 2022.

The federal government stated that the new regulation would enable autonomous driving to be used in various areas of mobility and boost opportunities for business and supply journeys in municipal areas. In addition, the legislation states that, “In the future, autonomous vehicles should be able to drive nationwide without a physically present driver in specified operating areas of public road traffic in regular operation.”

Companies currently looking to operate commercial driverless vehicles in Germany will need to adhere to stringent rules, including having liability insurance and systems in place to stop autonomous vehicle operations remotely.

Photo: An autonomous ‘robo-taxi’.