Dr Ellem acknowledged the university faced a problem with limited transport options available from many suburbs but likened building more car parks to “buying bigger pants to lose weight”.

“If you start supplying parking spaces, people will demand them, and you’ll never be able to build enough,” said Dr Ellem, whose views do not represent those of the University or the Tom Farrell Institute.

The autonomous vehicles, which are already being developed by most car manufacturers, would provide “low-cost access from the suburbs to the city at a price that is competitive with private passenger cars”, he said.