just eat has launched a small wheeled robot trial on Gloucester Road in Bristol and this month a councillor’s dog narrowly avoided being run over, prompting safety alarms. The trial has been operating over the past month and the issue was raised at a member forum meeting on March 10 (ET). Bristol City Council says it was not informed in advance and has asked staff to investigate what permissions were required.
Just Eat responds
A Just Eat spokesperson said the trial had been carefully planned and included safety assessments and that the company works closely with local authorities. The spokesperson also said the trial is partnered with Delivers. AI and that robots are designed for pedestrian environments, equipped with cameras to navigate streets and built to travel at low speeds along pavements. The company highlighted collaboration with a road safety charity, Brake, aimed at promoting safe delivery practices.
Safety concerns on Gloucester Road
Green Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee at Bristol City Council, raised the issue at the March 10 (ET) meeting, saying: “Emma’s dog was nearly run over by one of these a couple of days ago. It’s a very small dog so it may be that the tech bros need to do some more work. ” Plowden argued the trial places new risks on residents and said he wants stronger national rules to ensure robot operators are properly licensed and meet health and safety requirements.
Edwin Thompson, a software engineer who works with mechanical systems, expressed concern that these devices could cause problems for people using the pavement with mobility issues and warned the shift toward automated delivery poses broader questions for jobs. “I prefer a human delivering me my food, ” Thompson said. The just eat trial, as described by company statements, operates at low speeds but critics say the council had not been informed and lacks a policy to manage such machines on public pavements.
What’s next
Bristol City Council staff have been asked to investigate how the trial is being conducted and what permission was required, and councillors expect that process to clarify whether local controls exist or are needed. Plowden has called for national action to force licensing and stronger health and safety standards for robot operators, a development that would determine how similar trials proceed. Just Eat maintains risk assessments were completed and that partners and charities were engaged; the next weeks of the council investigation and any follow-up guidance or enforcement will shape whether the trial continues unchanged or is adjusted to address the safety concerns raised by local officials and engineers.
