Driverless cars are set to carry human passengers on Britain’s roads for the first time, a government-backed consortium has announced.

Trials starting on Thursday will see cars driving through the London boroughs of Croydon and Bromley in a bid to prove the technology can operate safely on the UK’s cramped roads.

The cars, designed by UK company FiveAI, will be carrying one of 130 volunteers everyday on a circuit through the busy London roads.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hailed the Bromley trials as a “major step” towards driverless cars becoming a common sight in Britain.

He said: "The untapped potential of self-driving vehicle technology is huge — it could enhance road safety, tackle isolation, and create economic opportunities.

“The Government’s Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy sets out how it is planning for the introduction of self-driving vehicles, and Street​Wise’s successful trial ​will be a major step to rolling out the next phase of the UK’s transport revolution."

The routes will test how the cars react to real life situations and deal with unpredictable human drivers. The cars will also have a driver in them ready to take control should anything go awry.

Stan Boland, co-founder and CEO of FiveAI, said the most driverless trials so far had been conducted in the West Coast of America where, roads tended to be wider and on a grid system.