Trials of a new on-demand car-hailing service using remote-controlled driverless vehicles are now underway in Milton Keynes and planned to go fully live in the second half of 2022.

The trials in Milton Keynes include a variety of vehicle types, from standard saloon cars to electric microcars, each equipped with Imperium Drive’s proprietary remote driving software

Run by British start-up Imperium Drive and backed by the UK government and industry, the service combines the instant convenience of ride hailing with the flexibility and low cost of car sharing.

Users summon an unmanned vehicle via an app, which is driven by a remote driver to their location. The customer then drives the car normally to their destination, from where a remote vehicle operator takes over and pilots the car back to base or to the next user.

And the company aims to transition to full autonomy for car deliveries in the next five years.

While remote driving technology is already being trialled in other countries, Fetch is the first application in the UK.

The service brings a number of benefits for both users and fleet operators adopting the technology.

For users covering short trips of up to a couple of hours, it offers the same convenience as a ride-hailing or taxi service, but with the ability to cover greater distances at less than half the cost of services like Uber or Bolt.

For fleet operators in the car sharing and short-term rental sector, remote driving technology can significantly increase revenue per car. They can relocate cars more quickly at periods of high demand, such as during rush hour, which is key to maximising utilisation rates. They can also extend the reach of their operations to enable intercity travel, while reducing fleet management costs associated with repositioning cars when rental periods end.

The technology, which uses 5G connectivity, enables remote operators to switch between controlling different cars when required, and Imperium Drive is partnering with car manufacturers to assess its use in a variety of vehicles.

The trial is currently running on private routes before the service is extended to include public roads in the next 12 months.

Koosha Kaveh, CEO of Imperium Drive, said: “For many people, public transport is cheap but inconvenient, while ride-hailing and taxis are convenient but also expensive. Our goal is to make on-demand door-to-door transport more cost-effective and convenient than every alternative, even privately owned cars. There are real environmental benefits too, with the potential to greatly reduce the number of private cars on the road. With Fetch, users hail a car to their doorstep and within minutes can be on their way, driving themselves to their destination in their own time and at their convenience. They don’t even have to worry about parking when they get there.”