A city now offers a car-rental service that sends a remotely driven vehicle to the user.
After 18 months of testing in Milton Keynes, the Fetch vehicle system is now accessible to customers.
As of right now, every car is delivered with a safety driver up front who can take over the wheel if necessary.
It is driverless but not yet autonomous, according to chief executive Koosha Kaveh. ".
The service where cars are driven by an operator in an office, according to Imperium Drive, is the first of its kind in Europe.
The company anticipates that after another 18 months of testing, the cars won't require the safety driver, even though they currently have one.
Using the vehicle's built-in cameras and anti-crash safety features in the operating software, the remote driver of the car can see the roads from every angle.
Customers can rent electric cars through an app, and while they can operate them normally, a remote operator will deliver the cars to any location within a four-mile (6 km) radius of Milton Keynes city center.
When the rental period is up, the operator retakes control and drives the car back to its starting point.
Imperium Drive claimed that during the last 18 months of testing, the vehicles have traveled more than 1,000 miles (1,609 km) on city roads without being involved in any collisions.
"There is still a human involved, but they are sitting in a control room piloting the vehicle in the same way you would a drone," Mr. Kaveh said.
"We believe that this system has the potential to displace private automobile ownership in the UK when it is fully autonomous. ".
The RAC, however, expressed concern that remotely operating a vehicle might put the driver at a distance from the potential road safety consequences "in a video game-like manner.".
Although the remote driver has a reasonable view in front of them and around them, Simon Williams continued, "Whether they like it or not, they are somewhat disconnected from the reality of actually being behind the wheel.
Additionally, there is a chance that something in the room where they are located will draw their attention.
"We also worry that serious consequences could result if this program is implemented more widely and if delivery distances are increased to include faster roads. ".
The Milton Keynes City Council and the government both support the Fetch car system, which sees car rentals like these as a way to lessen the number of vehicles on the road.
In a statement, the council stated that it was "supportive of any new technologies that can revolutionize our travel and make it more sustainable.".
"Larger shuttles that use similar technology and driverless cars are just two of the solutions we're considering. Making shared transportation more appealing is the goal, according to the authority.
