The head of the Ministry of Transport called manual car control exotic in 20 years

In 20 years, manual driving will be considered exotic, just as horseback riding is now. This opinion was shared by the head of the Ministry of Transport of Russia Andrey Nikitin.

"Believe me, in 20 years, manual driving will be as exotic as horseback riding. Most likely, it will be, but at landfills, for the pleasure of people. Just like they are doing sports on horses now, no one rides in Moscow," Nikitin was quoted as saying by TASS on January 21.

According to the minister, for the functioning of unmanned vehicles, including trucks, cars, taxis and various public transport, it is necessary to develop a matrix of "digital counterparts" of highways.

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Earlier that day, it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Transport had developed a draft federal law that defines the conditions for the admission of highly automated vehicles (VATS) to highways and tramways across the country. If adopted, it will enter into force on September 1, 2027.

Also on January 21, it became known that in Russia, 72.2% of the country's passenger car fleet is occupied by cars over the age of 10.

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