Hon Martin Pritchard asks about legislation for driverless vehicles in WA. The Minister responds that existing legislation allows for trials and WA is collaborating nationally on guidelines and legislation.

AnsweredQoN 1008Legislative Council
Asked
20 September 2016
Portfolio
Transport

QuestionView source ↗

TRANSPORT — DRIVERLESS CARS
1008. Hon MARTIN PRITCHARD to the parliamentary
secretary representing the Minister for Transport:
This question has been in the file
since last week. I refer to driverless vehicles.
(1) Has the
minister or his department started drafting the necessary legislation to enable
driverless vehicles to operate on Western Australian roads?
(2) If yes to (1), when will the
legislation be made public?
(3) If no to (1), why not?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) No.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) Driverless
vehicles can already operate on Western Australian roads if permitted by the
use of exemption powers under existing legislation. This is how the Department
of Transport has authorised the current trial in South Perth of a highly
automated electric shuttle bus operated by the Royal Automobile Club of Western
Australia. This is the first time in Australia, and one of the first times in
the world, that such a trial has been conducted on open public roads. Further, Western
Australia is working collaboratively with other Australian governments to
develop national guidelines on such tests and nationally consistent legislation
to enable the mass market deployment of automated vehicles.

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