If you happen to be near the University of Toronto campus and see a car drive by without the driver’s hands on the wheel, don’t be alarmed.
Uber says it has been conducting self-driving vehicle tests in the area, as part of a road-mapping project that aims to support the ride-share giant’s Toronto-based driverless car technology research hub.
A driver always sits behind the wheel, Uber assured, ready to manually take control of the car as needed.
READ MORE: Uber’s self-driving cars hit Toronto streets in manual mode
“Our vehicles will continue to conduct testing, and may engage in autonomous mode as needed with a driver always behind the wheel. We have obtained a permit from the province for our development testing efforts,” an Uber spokesperson told Global News.
In August, Uber announced that the vehicles had begun mapping operations in manual mode.
The company says the cars are not operating on Uber’s ride-sharing platform, and that there are no immediate plans to use self-driving cars to transport passengers.