Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths

Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements

Large numbers of autonomous delivery robots could be coming to towns and cities across England after ministers signalled they were likely to support a change in the law allowing their use, prompting concern from safety campaigners.

Low-speed robots, which mainly deliver groceries or takeaway food, are already in use in a handful of places but they operate in a regulatory grey area. The 1835 Highways Act bans “carriages” from pavements.