Self driving vehicles were disabled by a gang of criminals in Sao Paulo. One of them is accused of having placed the device which blocked all communications between the vehicle and the roadside control system. A similar device also stopped the same truck from driving past the point of the attack, the paper reports. Sao Paulo is believed to be the first city in the world to install traffic lights which only allow vehicles with automatic steering and braking to pass through. This type of equipment was intended to encourage driverless cars on the streets, and in this case the theft has been credited to "terrorists" or organised crime groups. The system has been nicknamed the robogate - robo being the Portuguese word for 'rob'. Sao Paulo state police said that the "saboteurs" have "the intention of stealing sensitive information and damaging devices". "From now on, it will only be possible to use this type of equipment with automated vehicles," the paper says. Another security feature involved a control box which only opens to a keycard or physical access key that must be placed in the car before the vehicle is allowed to leave. Police say the robogate was installed at a total cost of $US1,100,000 (£600,000), but they can also carry out the same system for under $200. Sao Paulo state police did not comment on any possible links to terrorism. Local newspaper website G1 says that it is also believed that that technology can be used to block vehicles without driver. While these devices are available to police forces, the G1 says that it's a mystery as to who in Sao Paulo installed them. According to the paper, these were installed because "they give authorities the ability to control the location and time of car thefts and other events that disrupt public security". The robogate is said to have been installed between August and October last year. The use of driverless cars in parts of the world where this technology is most common and most sophisticated is still rare. The robogate is believed to be the first in the world. In the UK, the Department for Transport has asked driverless car manufacturers to work on ways to keep passengers and pedestrians safer. In 2015 it was revealed that British companies are exploring driverless cars that can communicate with each other and other road users to create a connected environment, and that car makers in the US and Germany had begun studying the use of driverless cars on the roads. The Department of Transport has said: "The Department for Transport is encouraging the UK's driverless car industry to explore how its products can be built and tested in a way which ensures that they enhance the driver experience and have minimal impact on other road users. "Our first priority is to ensure that driverless cars can safely navigate their route to their destination. However, we must also be sure that any new technologies do not create new risks for other road users." If you have been affected by crime as a driver, tell us about your experience. Get in touch using crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online here. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.