Autonomous Vehicles in Developing Countries: A Case Study on User's View Point in Pakistan

Technological advancements are continuously changing the human life. Like many other developments, autonomous vehicle system is attracting public interest and being widely discussed by all the stakeholders. Recent reports show that in future, autonomous vehicles or self-driving cars will be on roads in developed countries such as in UK and US. In this age of information technology, advancements made in developed countries not only move to the developing countries but also impact the opinions and lives of the people living in these countries. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective strategies which can help the adaption of upcoming technologies in transport systems like autonomous vehicles. In this respect, user's perception becomes highly significant as this can help designers by providing them the information about real time issues and human observations. Up till now, no significant work has been carried out on exploring the user's perception about autonomous vehicles in developing countries like Pakistan. This study aims at capturing the user's view point about the use of autonomous vehicles which can provide relevant information on perceived benefits and challenges in user's perspective. An underlying objective is also to compare this perspective with developed countries like US, UK, and Australia etc. Findings of the study will help in assessing user's perceptions in terms of challenges, the level of awareness and understanding about autonomous vehicles. It will lead to shaping up the strategies to address the needs of users so that more viable and equally acceptable technological interventions can be made.