A new poll has revealed that a majority of Britons do not believe delivery robots belong on the pavements, with four in five concerned around their impacts on those with mobility or sight issues.

The YouGov poll was commissioned by Living Streets, a charity dedicated to the promotion of everyday walking and protecting walking environments, and found that 60 per cent of respondents oppose delivery robots using the pavement.

In a campaign video released Monday, the charity called for them to be banned from pavements, raising further concerns, including that they operate without any explicit laws governing their use.

Living Streets trustee and disability campaigner Dr Amit Patel, who is registered blind, said they posed a particular issue for people with disabilities.

“We don’t have the infrastructure for robots to be on our pavements and for people to get around safely at the same time,” Dr Patel said. “If you can see, walk or hear, you probably won’t be affected by delivery robots, but for those of us who’ve worked so hard to get our independence back, this is yet another hurdle.

“Some people tell me that it’s easier and safer to jump in a taxi and go to an out-of-town shopping centre than it is to visit their local high street because it’s just not safe. If we want to boost our local economies, we need to fix the legislation around delivery robots.”

The charity has written an open letter to secretary of state for transport Heidi Alexander asking for clarification on the legal status of the robots and urging national regulations. Living Streets said that the government has responded saying it intends to create a legal framework for the further rollout of the robots.

Delivery robots have existed in the UK for some time. Provider Starship Technologies has been operating its robots across the country since 2018, expanding its reach by signing a partnership with Uber at the end of 2025.

However, they have not been without controversy. In August, the company removed its robots from Sheffield after a five-month trial period, with local paper the Sheffield Star reporting that the decision followed a spate of vandalism against the vehicles.

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