Self-driving grocery robots could hit streets soon

Self-driving robots could soon be delivering groceries across three coastal towns.

The autonomous electric vehicles would be used in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as part of a new pilot scheme outlined in BCP Council's latest transport plan, with a target delivery date of 2031.

They have been described as "tiny fridges on wheels" and are already in operation in several other parts of the UK.

Andy Hadley, the council's cabinet member for climate response, environment and energy, said the authority was in talks with a company and that people in the area could expect to see the robots "within the next year or so".

"They have a lot of cameras and means to detect what's happening and they have various safety mechanisms," he said.

"So basically if they get into a conflict situation, they can stop, they can speak, and they can also be taken over by a controller - so effectively, if it gets to a position where the autonomous vehicle doesn't quite know what's going on or can't resolve the situation, someone can actually take them over."

Hadley added that the robots would run on the left-hand side of the pavement to make their movements predictable, and that concerns about space and accessibility had been factored into discussions with the operator.

"As I understand it, they will avoid places where it's not safe for them to be," he said.

"So in the same way as with the Beryl e-scooters, we as an authority can say we don't want them on the seafront going more than five miles an hour or through the lower gardens or on certain roads as it's not suitable for sharing with pedestrians."

Similar autonomous delivery services have been trialled in other parts of the UK, including London, Milton Keynes, Leeds and Sheffield.