ENGLAND — Ministers in England have signaled support for a change in the law to allow delivery robots on pavements. The Department for Transport is leading the legal adjustments and is considering classifying delivery robots in the same legal category as electric mobility scooters and wheelchairs following a consultation.

Currently, the 1835 Highways Act bans "carriages" from pavements, placing delivery robots in a regulatory grey area. A government spokesperson stated: "We will update the law for delivery robots as soon as parliamentary time allows and following public consultation."

The charity Living Streets has written to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to call for caution regarding plans for delivery robots. The organization stated that the legal status of trials for these robots was unclear. Living Streets is also launching a campaign titled Pavement Overload.

Catherine Woodhead, chief executive of Living Streets, stated: "We believe that pavements are for people, and the operation of robots puts the safety of pedestrians at risk, particularly for those with mobility issues." The charity released a video showing robots bumping into pedestrians or forcing them out of the way. Living Streets is demanding that any consultation on changing the law on powered devices on pavements be designed with pedestrian safety and accessibility as baseline requirements.

Starship Technologies, a U.S. firm set up by two co-founders of Skype, manufactures box-shaped, white, six-wheeled delivery robots. These robots are in use in Cambridge, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Leeds, and Barnsley. The charity reported that a Starship Technologies hub was installed at a scout hut in Sheffield without the council or local people being informed.

Starship Technologies hopes to sell more than 10,000 delivery robots in England. The company has promised to set up a manufacturing site in the UK if the government clarifies the law. A government spokesperson stated: "We welcome innovation and advances in technology have the potential to boost our economy, but it's vital the safety of pedestrians and vulnerable road users is put first."