THE RAC has announced plans to test driverless passenger vehicles, in conjunction with French autonomous vehicle manufacturer Navya.

The trial, expected to start in April, will test several driverless passenger Autonom vehicles that are designed as an on-demand shared mobility service, bookable through a smartphone app.

Perth is one of three cities from around the world, including Paris, selected for the trial of the fully-electric cars.

In an Australian first, RAC, with the support of the WA State Government, launched the RAC Intellibus in South Perth in August 2016.

The driverless, electric shuttle is designed to complement the existing public transport network by transporting passengers across the first and last mile.

“A longstanding objective of launching Australia’s first driverless vehicle trial in South Perth is to encourage and develop further trials, build research and also encourage wider collaboration.

“Ultimately our aim is to increase the understanding of how driverless vehicles can be integrated in to our transport system, and how they could best benefit the community,” RAC Group chief executive Terry Agnew said at the time.

Mr Agnew said the cars would carry six passengers and have a maximum speed of 90km/h. During the trial they will operate between 20km/h and 50km/h.

“We must prepare for the potential impact and opportunities of driverless vehicles, as well as the changes that are required for them to safely transition on to our roads,” he said.