Manx roads are famous the world over as the home of motor sport but could they welcome the testing of self driving cars?

If Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson gets his way, then they might do just that.

Dr Allinson took to Twitter this week to re-tweet a story about a company in the UK Addison Lee which plans to have self-driving taxis by 2021.

In his tweet, Dr Allinson asked his followers: ’Could this be tried out first on the Isle of Man?’

The Manx Independent turned that question around and asked Dr Allinson whether he thought it could.

He said: ’I think the island could be an excellent testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

’It would need an all-government approach to encourage hopefully electrically powered vehicles.

’We would need to have the right legislation in place to ensure public safety but in the same way as we used to be at the forefront of telecommunications, we could also be at the leading edge of other socially useful technologies.’

Dr Allinson added that the island would most likely need to embrace the 5G technology and look at legislation in regards to safety.

However, he said the island has already been mapped out extensively, in particular the TT course.

’The TT course is already very well mapped out as shown by the number of computer games which use it,’,he said.

’Set routes such as from the airport to Douglas have light traffic most of the time and could be used as an advertisement for both the tech and creative industries in the island. It would bring new skills and IT jobs which could then be transferable to other sectors.’

In 2016, it was suggested that the island could host the testing the new technology to a splash of UK wide publicity.

However, despite then Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne backing the proposals, it never came to fruition.

Dr Allinson, is however hopeful that this time it could be a possibility.

He said: ’As technologies change the opportunities increase for applications and I believe that there will be a substantial market for autonomous cars especially to serve a rural population such as in the island.

’I believe that we could establish the right regulatory framework this parliament to encourage trials on the island by companies wanting to exhibit and refine their tested technologies.’

Despite his enthusiasm, a Department of Infrastructure spokesman said there is ’nothing imminently planned’ to change legislation in relation to self driving cars.

However, with the money being invested into the technology, it seems inevitable it will come to the island - and everywhere else eventually .