Delivery robots spark concern after dog incident

New delivery robots have sparked safety concerns after a councillor's dog was almost run over.

Over the past month, JustEat has launched a new trial using small wheeled robots to deliver food to customers along Bristol's Gloucester Road.

Bristol City Council said it was not informed about the trial and does not have a policy on the use of delivery robots. Council staff were asked to investigate how the trial is being conducted and what permission was required.

A council meeting was told a councillor's small dog narrowly avoided being hit by the robot, with councillor Ed Plowden saying the company was creating new risks for residents.

Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee, said councillor Emma Edwards has a very small dog and that robotic engineers may need to do some more work for public safety, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

JustEat's trial is partnered with Delivers.AI, a company spokesperson said it was not contacted by the council with any specific concerns about its autonomous machines.

They added that robots, which are equipped with cameras that allow it to navigate streets, are designed for pedestrian environments and travel at low speeds along pavements while transporting food.

However, a software engineer who works with mechanical systems, Edwin Thompson, said he does not agree with the new robots in the city.

Thompson said these robots could cause issues for people using the pavement with mobility issues.

His concern was that the self‑driving delivery robots potentially reveal that our job markets have started to change.

"I prefer a human delivering me my food," he added.

Plowden criticised parts of the delivery industry, arguing that some companies place risks on workers and the public while profiting from the service.

He added that he would like to see stronger national rules to ensure robot operators are properly licensed and meet health and safety requirements.

In response to the concerns, JustEat said the trial had been carefully planned and included safety assessments.

A spokesperson said the company works closely with local authorities and had partnered with road safety charity Brake to promote safe delivery practices.

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