Part 5: Permits for automated passenger services Section 82: Power to grant permits
This section gives the appropriate national authority the power to grant a permit to a person for the purpose of providing an automated passenger service.
	Following existing devolution settlements, the term ‘appropriate national authority’ is adopted to provide Scottish and Welsh Ministers with the power to grant a permit in their nations, for an automated passenger service which resembles a taxi or private hire vehicle, alongside the Secretary of State for Transport granting these permits in England. Where an automated passenger service resembles a public service vehicle, existing legislation in this area is a reserved matter and the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for granting permits in England, Scotland, and Wales.
	Subsection (2) defines an automated passenger service as a service carrying passengers in road vehicles which is designed or adapted to travel autonomously or is being used as part of a trial which is aimed at developing the autonomous design or adaptation of a vehicle. This enables not only vehicles which have already satisfied the self-driving test, under Part 1 (Regulatory scheme for automated vehicles), to be granted a permit, but also enables the grant of a permit to vehicles operated under a trial with a safety driver.  This definition allows for regulatory flexibility for these vehicles as they are in development.
	Subsection (3) provides that a permit may be granted for either or both of two purposes, which are securing the disapplication of taxi, private hire vehicle and bus legislation under section 83, and satisfying a requirement imposed by regulations on the holder of a no user-in-charge operator licence under section 12 (licensing of no-user-in-charge operators, or NUiC operators).
	When granting a permit, the appropriate national authority must specify in the permit the areas in which services may be provided, the details of the vehicles in which services may be provided, and how long the permit is valid for. In addition, the appropriate national authority can specify permit conditions under subsection (4)(d). Subsection (5) provides that permit conditions can take the form either of further limitations on the services that may be provided under the permit, or obligations that the permit holder has to fulfil as a condition of holding the permit. Examples of the kinds of conditions which may be attached to a permit include conditions to take account of local considerations as to the operation of the service under the permit, such as complying with local clean air zones, integrating the service within local fare and ticketing schemes, and conditions setting an initial standard which services will need to meet in respect of accessibility and the safeguarding of passengers. Section 88(1) provides that permit conditions may, in particular, include conditions concerning the collection and sharing of information.