Manitoba on Wednesday introduced new legislation that would allow autonomous vehicles to be tested in the province.
The legislation, called the “Vehicle Technology Testing Act“, was announced by Infrastructure Minister Ron Shuler, who said in a news release it would make Manitoba competitive with other jurisdictions.
“Development of vehicle technology, including automated self-driving vehicles, is progressing rapidly worldwide and these changes will help make Manitoba competitive in attracting business and keeping pace with other jurisdictions.”
With the changes in legislation, different types of vehicles technology would be allowed to be tested in the province, including automated and connected technology.
It might still be some time before we saw autonomous vehicle testing on Manitoba roads. Before any testing can occur, the province will need to work with stakeholders to develop regulations and a permitting system.
One of the companies Manitoba could try to lure is Waymo, which is vying to be the first to develop autonomous driving. The company already has a Canadian link as it recently got a big cash infusion from the Canada Pension Plan.
