LONDON, July 30 (August) -- A grand challenge to help shape the future of transport in Britain was launched Monday by the British government.
Kick starting the challenge, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it will lead to a wave of electric cargo bikes, vans, quadricycles and micro vehicles replacing delivery vehicles as part of plans to transform "last-mile" deliveries, vastly reducing emissions and congestion in British cities and major towns.
Innovators will look at the increasing use of drones and autonomous vehicles for delivery work in busy down-town areas.
There are currently 300,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and over 4 million delivery vans on Britain's roads and with online sales continuing to increase, this is likely to increase further, said the DfT.
New green delivery vehicles could replace the millions of conventionally-fuelled vans currently a common sight in city centers.
The plans have been outlined in government documents which offer a glimpse into how technology can transform transport, making it safer, more accessible and greener than ever.
"Travel around the UK could dramatically change with the introduction of flying vehicles or widespread use of self-driving cars," said the DfT.
The potential increased use of self-driving vehicles and shared travel could also allow the majority of parking spaces to be removed in city centers, opening areas up for redevelopment and potentially hundreds of thousands of new urban homes.
The ground-breaking developments are outlined in the government's Last Mile and Future of Mobility call for evidence documents which have been published today.
"The documents fire the starting gun on the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, which aims to make the UK the world leaders in the movement of goods, services and people," said the DfT.
As part of the initiative the government announced funding worth 16 million U.S. dollars for six projects to aid the development of connected and autonomous vehicles.
The call for evidence includes innovations in automation, with improved traffic sensors, increased computing power and the exciting potential of artificial intelligence (AI).
It will also span new delivery modes, with some British cities already pioneering the use of drones to support emergency services and improve infrastructure inspections. The introduction of aerial passenger vehicles could also appear in urban areas.
