These driverless pods will hit the streets of London in July

These driverless pods will be the first autonomous vehicles to hit the streets of London.

The vehicles, which are already being used on tracks at Heathrow Airport, will be adapted for use in Greenwich from July. The consortium behind the trial said changes would be made so the pods didn't need to run on tracks.

Seven of the electric pods -- developed by the GATEway group -- will be placed on the tarmac of the Greenwich Peninsula, with routes likely to include residential streets and areas close to the O2 Arena.

They will be tested for three months by 'invited' users before being opened up to the general public. Each pod can carry six passengers, although one of the passengers will be a steward whose job it is to press the emergency button in the event of a problem. The pods will be the first driverless vehicles to hit the streets of London and are part of a larger national project.

Autonomous vehicles are being developed by a number of companies around the world, including Ford, Tesla, Google and -- if rumours are true -- Apple. And it isn't just self-driving cars and pods that are being developed. Switzerland is set to introduce nine-seater autonomous busses this year and driverless shuttles have already been tested on public roads in the Netherlands.
Greenwich is one of four areas in the UK where driverless vehicles are due to be trialled. Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes will also carry out trials later this year.