Local authorities will need to manage kerbside access digitally if autonomous vehicles are to operate effectively in towns and cities, according to Grid Smarter Cities founder Neil Herron.
Writing in Parking Review, Herron argues that the debate around connected and automated vehicles must move beyond whether they can navigate roads safely and consider how they will be managed when they stop.
Competing demands for limited space
Kerbside space is already required for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, freight deliveries, servicing, charging, vehicle staging and accessibility. The growth of autonomous services could increase competition between these activities, the article says.
“While driving is a vehicle capability, stopping is ultimately a permission controlled by a city or highway authority,” Herron writes. He adds: “Cities shouldn’t look to manage vehicles – they should ensure they manage outcomes.”
Grid Smarter Cities’ existing approach allows delivery drivers to book kerbside slots, reducing the need to circulate in search of available loading space. Its Bookable Loading Bays project in Southwark gives freight operators the ability to reserve designated locations while leaving the local authority in control of the kerbside asset.
Herron suggests a similar model could be used for autonomous passenger services. Vehicles could request permission to use an appropriate section of kerb rather than stopping automatically at the point selected by a passenger.
From static regulation to dynamic allocation
A digital platform could assess traffic conditions, local priorities, accessibility requirements and competing demand before assigning a location, according to the article. Permissions could vary by time of day, passenger needs or designated servicing periods.
The feature also refers to Grid Smarter Cities’ Virtual Loading Bays, which are intended to let councils create loading locations digitally without installing new street furniture, road markings or carrying out civil engineering works.
Research with Durham University is examining optimisation techniques that could reschedule kerbside access when delays occur. Herron says such systems could help councils coordinate larger numbers of pick-ups, deliveries, charging requests and staging movements.
“If every vehicle independently decides where to stop, congestion is almost inevitable,” he writes. “This is not simply a vehicle problem. It is an orchestration problem.”
Herron, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 British Parking Awards, says digital infrastructure would give councils more tools to apply existing policies dynamically rather than remove their control over public space.
“Parking is no longer simply about enforcing restrictions. It is about becoming an integral part of how cities orchestrate movement,” he concludes.
The full feature appears in the October issue of Parking Review, on pages 24 and 25.