Every year, the Queen gives a speech about what the UK government will focus its attentions on over the coming 12 months. Yesterday she explained that, among other things, she wants the country to focus on autonomous cars and drones.
The Queen enters the House of Lords ahead of her speech (Image: AP)
During her speech, which takes place at the House of Lords in central London, she explained:
My ministers will ensure the United Kingdom is at the forefront of technology for new forms of transport, including autonomous and electric vehicles.
There’s something I bet she doesn’t say every day. She was actually referring to the so-called Modern Transport Bill, that’s been much-rumoured in the past few days.
The Guardian points out that the bill is expected to bring about new legislation for self-driving cars and drones, as well as ushering in the possibility for the UK’s first commercial spaceport. Exciting times. The same bill will also see public transport gain a digital overhaul, to ensure the entire country provides online timetabling.
Elsewhere in her speech, Bloomberg notes that the Queen promised that “measures will be brought forward to create the right for every household to access high-speed broadband” to help make “the United Kingdom a world leader in the digital economy”.
Of course, these ideas aren’t dreamt up by the Queen but senior policy makers. Still, regardless of who creates them, the announcement of shifting autonomous vehicle and spaceport legislation is good news for the UK.