PLANS to pave the way for driverless vehicles in Jersey were shelved after tens of thousands of pounds had already been spent on preparing the laws needed to make them possible, it has emerged.
Newly published government figures revealed that between £35,000 and £50,000 was paid to external consultants to prepare “law drafting instructions” for potential automated vehicle trials. But despite the investment, the project is no longer being progressed.
The figures were revealed for the first time yesterday in the government’s latest report on its use of consultants and temporary external workforce.
It comes two years after this newspaper reported that the Island was in the “very early stages” of exploring law changes to allow autonomous vehicles.
But, following queries from the JEP, the Cabinet Office confirmed these plans were scrapped following the vote of no confidence in former Chief Minister Kristina Moore.
“In 2023, initial research was commissioned by the former Population and Skills Ministerial Group to understand what legislative changes would be needed for Jersey to allow trials of automated driverless vehicles,” a statement from the Cabinet Office said.
“After the change in government in January 2024, it was decided that this work was not a priority and all work stopped. The use of consultancy support stopped at that time.
“No work is being undertaken at present.”
When efforts to allow autonomous vehicles began almost two years ago, Digital Jersey chief executive Tony Moretta urged politicians to continue progress on legislation around driverless and self-driving cars – or risk falling behind the curve.
“Building foundations for initiatives we might want to roll out in the future is always a good idea,” he said. “It doesn’t force you to use them, but it allows you to, and that’s important.”
Driverless taxis, airport shuttles and even public transport services were all cited as potential uses – with Mr Moretta arguing the Island could act as a “great sandbox” for new technology.
“This stuff isn’t science fiction,” he said. “It is already happening around the world.”
However, the latest figures show that while groundwork was commissioned, it never progressed beyond early-stage legal advice.
At the time the research was commissioned, Jersey’s existing road-traffic laws – dating back to 1956 – were widely seen as unfit for autonomous vehicles, with the head of roads policing warning a “complete overhaul” would be required.
But with no further work planned, the Island remains without a legal framework for trials – even as other countries continue to push ahead.
How does Jersey compare to other jurisdictions?
The United Kingdom has introduced new legislation through the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, which sets out a legal framework for self-driving cars. The government is aiming for autonomous vehicles to begin operating on roads from around 2026 or 2027, with a strong focus on safety testing, licensing and insurance requirements before any widespread rollout
Across the European Union, common rules are already in place to approve automated vehicles before they can be used. Germany is considered a global leader in this area, having legalised Level 4 – fully driverless – vehicles in 2021. Its laws allow both real-world trials and limited operation of autonomous vehicles in designated areas, supported by a clear national legal framework.
France has also introduced national rules to support the testing and gradual rollout of autonomous vehicles. These form part of a wider European effort to safely integrate the technology into everyday transport systems.
In the United States, there is no single nationwide law governing autonomous vehicles. Instead, individual states set their own rules. Many states permit testing programmes, and some already allow limited commercial use of self-driving technology. Self-driving Ubers are currently available in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix.
