MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/. The Russian Ministry of Transport expects that a half of all transportation means will be driverless by 2050, Deputy Minister Vladimir Poteshkin said at a press conference in TASS.

"According to our prospects, over time, if we look ahead to 2050, we expect that about 50% of all means of transportation will operate without drivers. Various environments are being created at present to implement all that," he noted.

About ninety driverless trucks are currently carrying freight over toll roads at present, Poteshkin said. In particular, such trucks are used on the M-4 Don and the M-11 Neva highways and the Central Ring Road. Driverless trucks will start moving on the M-12 East highway later on. "To date, these motor vehicles already traveled more than six million kilometers," the deputy minister said.

"As regards further improvement, we are to reach the fifth level of autonomy, when the vehicles will travel without drivers at all. We are preparing now the regulatory base for this case and adapting the road network," Poteshkin added.