London Assembly calls for TfL control over robotaxis

Calls are growing for London to have greater control over the rollout of driverless robotaxis, with the London Assembly's transport committee recommending that the government devolve authority over autonomous taxi services to Transport for London (TfL). The committee's report highlights significant uncertainty surrounding the purported benefits of autonomous vehicles and raises concerns about their potential impact on public transport, traffic congestion, passenger safeguarding, and accessibility for disabled individuals.

The current regulatory framework means that while TfL can approve the commencement of limited robotaxi services, which still require a human safety driver, the Department for Transport is responsible for issuing permits for fully autonomous passenger services. TfL, which licenses passenger services generally, only has the power to grant or refuse consent for these autonomous operations on London's streets. This division of authority has caused alarm, with TfL reportedly seeing little benefit in adding more services to already busy city roads and wanting the power to intervene, drawing parallels with the early days of Uber's operation in London.

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Driver concerns and future plans

The expansion of robotaxi services is also a source of significant anxiety for existing Uber drivers. Florentina Ghiuzan, an Uber driver from Essex, expressed shock at the speed of TfL's approval and voiced fears about the future of her livelihood. "I knew change would come. But I thought it would come with a solution for us," she stated. Drivers are planning protests outside the London headquarters of Wayve, a company partnering with Uber to supply autonomous cabs. Faisal Osman, an Uber driver of 12 years, described robotaxis as a "massive concern" that could "decimate the livelihoods of many people."

Uber has ambitious global plans, intending to deploy 100,000 Nvidia robotaxis worldwide starting next year. The company's executives have suggested that all new cars could be autonomous by 2040. In San Francisco, Waymo's fully autonomous vehicles already account for over a quarter of all rides. In London, however, over 100,000 people are currently on Uber's waitlist for robotaxi services, indicating significant public interest in trying the technology.

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A report by the Centre for British Progress thinktank suggested that more than 400,000 UK drivers, including 121,000 in London, could find their work becoming obsolete. The report urged the government to consider taxing autonomous vehicles to offset the social and economic consequences for affected workers. The GMB union has called for a "just transition" to support drivers in reskilling and finding new employment. While the roads minister, Justin Madders, acknowledged that government has sometimes overlooked the impact on workers, he stated a commitment to ensuring this does not happen with autonomous vehicle technology.

What happens next

The London Assembly's transport committee is advocating for a shift in regulatory authority. The Department for Transport has not yet indicated whether it will devolve powers over autonomous taxi service permits to TfL. Meanwhile, drivers and unions continue to voice their concerns and plan further actions regarding the deployment of robotaxis in London and other UK cities.