JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel will allow autonomous vehicle driving without the presence of a human driver as required nowadays, said a statement issued by Israeli Ministry of Transport on Thursday.
The ministry said that a new planned legislation will allow advanced tests as well as free or paid passenger rides in autonomous vehicles via a dedicated application.
"This is a huge step forward in promoting autonomous vehicles in Israel," the ministry said in its statement.
So far, all testing of autonomous vehicles in Israel are carried out with a safety driver to take over the vehicle in case of emergency.
"The new legislation will advance activities of leading technology companies in Israel, as they will be able to conduct advanced testing and operate autonomous vehicles," according to the ministry.
The legislation will encourage smart vehicles and transportation companies to establish and operate R&D centers and will accelerate the economic activity of smart transportation.
The new regulations will also allow Israeli auto-tech companies to increase their tests in Israel, and even bring foreign experiments.
"The new legislation will place Israel among the world's leading countries in the field of smart and autonomous transportation," said Israel Transport Minister Miri Regev. Enditem
