Testbed idea dismissed by civil servants

Chief Minister Allan Bell says an unnamed government department resisted the chance to get involved in driverless vehicle trials that are making headlines around the world.

Mr Bell says a recent approach was made by someone in the technology industry with close ties to Google.

They’d suggested using the Isle of Man as a testbed for the company’s driverless cars which are currently on American roads.

But Mr Bell says the department in question wasn’t very happy with the idea: