Delivery robots on UK pavements spark safety and accessibility concerns
Delivery robots operated by Starship Technologies have been deployed across multiple UK cities, but a charity has raised concerns about their impact on pedestrian and wheelchair user safety on congested pavements. The robots, equipped with cameras that collect data during operation, have been deployed without a national regulatory framework, prompting calls from Living Streets for the government to introduce regulations.
What happened
Delivery robots operated by Starship Technologies have been deployed across multiple UK cities including Leeds, Sheffield, Barnsley, Milton Keynes and Bristol since 2018, with the company claiming more than two million deliveries completed.
The robots are equipped with cameras and sensors that collect data during operation, raising concerns among the public about data handling and use.
Reported impact
Living Streets charity has warned that the robots pose a threat to the safety of pedestrians and wheelchair users, and says they block pavements for vulnerable people including those who are visually impaired and parents pushing prams.
Residents in Leeds reported the robots obstruct pavement space, with pedestrians having to move out of their way, and expressed concerns about camera surveillance and where collected data is used.
Index analysis
The robots have been deployed without a national regulatory framework governing their operation on public pavements.
Starship Technologies stated the cameras and sensors are used to help the robots operate safely in the environment.
Governance controls
Living Streets has launched a campaign calling on the government to bring in national regulations, clarify the legality of the robots, and decline to legalise them to prevent pavement overload.
Starship Technologies has stated it will manufacture the machines in Britain if the government changes the law to allow expansion across the country.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.