المملكة: Urgent.. within 90 days.. new traffic amendments to regulate the movement of autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom

There is no excuse for the driver’s absence.. “Traffic” puts the owner of “self-driving” in front of the regulatory responsibility
Interior: No authorization to drive self-driving vehicles, and approvals are a condition for dropping records

Revealed The Ministry of Interior, represented by Public Security, presented a proposal to amend the executive regulations for Traffic system. This measure aims to regulate the use of autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom within “ninety” days, ensuring the highest standards of traffic security and keeping pace with technical development in the transportation sector.

The proposed text explained that this step comes in implementation of higher directives that included assigning the Ministry of Interior to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services and the General Authority for Transport. These bodies work to speed up the procedures for reviewing and updating the systems and regulations related to Traffic system to enable the use of this type of vehicle.

The explanatory memorandum was based on Article Twenty-Two of the Cabinet Law, which gives ministers the right to propose draft rules and regulations.

The amendments stressed the importance of preparing legislation that defines the regulatory frameworks for legal responsibilities, safety requirements, and licensing and oversight mechanisms.

The draft amendments included adding a paragraph to the executive regulations of Article Sixteen, requiring the approval of the competent authority if the owner desires. The self-driving vehicle dropped its record.

The amendments to Article Seventeen also indicated that the provisions authorizing driving do not apply to vehicles that operate without human intervention during operation.

The proposed amendments to Articles fifty, fifty-one, fifty-four, fifty-nine, and sixty-eight indicate that regulatory responsibility and compliance with traffic rules are transferred to the “vehicle owner” in the absence of human intervention.

The memorandum pointed out that the driver of an autonomous vehicle adheres to the provisions of these articles during It will run on the road whenever human intervention is available.

The explanatory memorandum touched on the expected social impacts of the decision, as autonomous vehicles will contribute to improving traffic safety and reducing deaths and injuries resulting from human errors.

It added that this technology will enhance inclusiveness by providing safe transportation for the elderly and people with disabilities, and raise the quality of life by reducing stress and driving time.

On the financial and economic level, the Ministry of Interior revealed that the amendments will lead to reducing operational costs in the medium term. It stressed that this transformation will contribute to raising economic productivity, stimulating the growth of new sectors such as artificial intelligence, and improving the efficiency of supply chains.

Regarding the job impacts, the document warned of the shift in the nature of work from direct employment to supervision and control, which highlights the urgent need to rehabilitate and train the workforce to reduce the social impact of the transformation.

The memorandum concluded by emphasizing that this qualitative transformation will create technical jobs. New higher skill and value, improves ergonomics and job safety with reduced accidents and stress.