Campaign group Living Streets has called for a ban on autonomous delivery robots operating on pavements, amid plans to introduce them in Nottingham and other UK towns and cities.
Delivery robots are already operating in Leeds, Barnsley, Milton Keynes, Sunderland, Reading, Bristol and Cambridge, with further rollouts planned in London, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham.
Living Streets says the robots pose a potential hazard to pedestrians, particularly disabled people, those who are blind or partially sighted, and families with young children.
The organisation says existing trials have taken place without UK Government involvement or approval and that there is currently no specific legislation governing the use of delivery robots on pavements.
According to a YouGov poll cited by Living Streets, 60 per cent of people in the UK believe delivery robots should not be permitted on pavements, while four in five think they could cause problems for blind people and those with mobility difficulties.
A Bill is expected to progress through Parliament this year to establish whether delivery robots can operate under legally approved trials.
A spokesperson for Living Streets said: “This has to stop. Our pavements are not for sale; they should be for people only.
“The government is losing control of our pavements and needs to cease all robot deliveries until the issue has been debated and decided upon through due process.”
Living Streets is calling for an outright ban on pavement delivery robots, arguing that pedestrian spaces should remain safe and accessible for everyone.
