THE LEAD organisation overseeing the UK platooning trials has confirmed that the project is ‘very much still alive’, despite progress stalling due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) said the government remained committed to the trials and that desk based research has continued during the pandemic.
The consortium behind the investigations into the use of the technology said off-road trials and ‘extensive safety testing and driver training’ had been completed, but Covid-19 had affected the programme and on-road trials scheduled for this year had been abandoned for the time being.
A TRL spokeswoman said: ‘The trials are very much still alive and the customers, Highways England and the Department for Transport, are 100% committed to seeing the trials completed, as are all the partners involved in delivery.
‘The DAF trucks have been stationary during lockdown, and will be made ready for the operational trial phase as soon as we are given the go ahead to do so by the customers.’
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