UPDATE: PM approves driverless cars testing in Moscow, Tatarstan from Sat

(Adds comments in paragraphs 3–5)

GORKI, Moscow Region, Nov 26 (PRIME) -- Russian Prime Ministry Dmitry Medvedev has approved starting trial exploitation of self-driving cars on public routes in certain spots of Moscow and the republic of Tatarstan from Saturday, he said on Monday at a meeting with his deputies.

“I signed a decision of the government, a ruling on carrying out the experiment of test exploitation of highly-automated vehicles on public routes…This ruling will be applied in a trial mode on the territory of some areas in Moscow and Tatarstan. We’ll start it soon, from December 1,” Medvedev said.

The experiment will allow for working out necessary changes to driving regulations, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov said that there will be 100 highly-automated cars on routes of Moscow and Tatarstan. “An experienced driver will be in all cars to stop the vehicle in case of emergency,” he said.

“We’ll sum up the results every six months. We’ll finish the experiment in this mode and plan to do it on March 1, 2022, which is the aggregate term of the experiment,” Akimov said said.

Local Internet company Yandex started working on the driverless technology in 2016 and its first self-driving car debuted on a Moscow road in February to drive 789 kilometers from the capital to the city of Kazan, on the Volga, in June.

End