Part 5: Permits for automated passenger services Section 87: Further requirements
Subsection (1) of this section establishes a requirement for appropriate national authorities to consult with traffic authorities and emergency services substantially affected if the permit is granted, prior to granting a permit. Responsibility for arranging a consultation forum will rest with the appropriate national authority. The consultation may cover, for example, the operation of the proposed service within the local and strategic road networks, including considerations about how the service will integrate within the existing road network. It may also, for example, provide emergency services with information about how the service will be overseen by the operator, including how to contact them and safely access the vehicle where an incident or accident has occurred.
	The Law Commissions recommended that the overarching objective of the permit regime should be to improve the knowledge and understanding of how to design and provide automated passenger services for older and disabled passengers. When the appropriate national authority is deciding whether to grant a permit, subsection (3) requires the appropriate national authority to have regard to whether and to what extent the granting of the permit is likely to improve the understanding of providing inclusive services, which meet the needs of older and disabled passengers.
	To ensure this overarching objective is considered by permit holders throughout the duration of holding a permit, subsection (4) states the appropriate national authority must impose a permit condition under of the sort described in section 82(5)(b) – an obligation which the permit holder has to fulfil as a condition of holding the permit – requiring the permit holder to publish reports about their automated passenger services and the steps taken to provide accessible services and safeguard passengers more generally.