Ilham Aliyev enacts autonomous transport legislation

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has approved amendments to the Merchant Shipping Code and the laws "On Road Traffic," "On Transport," "On State Duty," "On the List of Items That May Belong to Certain Participants in Civil Circulation and Are Permitted on the Basis of a Special Permit (Items with Restricted Civil Circulation)," "On Road Transport," and "On Aviation."

The amendments establish the legal framework for the introduction of autonomous transport across all modes of transportation in Azerbaijan, including road, rail, metro, tram, maritime, and air transport.

Under the new rules, autonomous vehicles may operate only after state registration and within areas designated by the authorized state bodies.

Legal entities and individuals may operate autonomous transport systems after obtaining an operator certificate. Operators will be required to monitor the functioning of automated control systems during operation, intervene promptly in situations posing operational risks, ensure the storage and protection of operational data, and immediately notify the relevant authorities in the event of an accident or incident.

Operator certificates will be issued for five years, with a state fee of 20 manats for their issuance. Remote control centers are to be established, while operational data generated by autonomous transport must be transmitted to the state information system in real time. Operators will also be required to store the transmitted data for six months.