London cabbies want Sadiq Khan to slam the brakes on robotaxis

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London's minicab drivers want Mayor Sadiq Khan to put the brakes on robotaxis before they threaten thousands of jobs, with a new City Hall report casting doubt on whether the capital is ready for driverless cars.
The 66-page report makes uncomfortable reading for the companies hoping to unleash fleets of driverless taxis on London's streets.
"As it stands, we currently have not heard sufficient evidence to persuade us that London should welcome autonomous passenger services," it concludes.
Google's Waymo, British startup Wayve, and Chinese tech giant Baidu are among those gearing up to bring autonomous passenger services to London. Waymo has already been testing its cars in the capital and hopes to launch a commercial fleet of "low hundreds" this year, subject to regulatory approval.
London has around 105,000 licensed private hire drivers, many of whom have reason to worry about cars that can do their jobs without them.
The committee heard warnings that robotaxis could put large numbers of drivers out of work, and wants TfL to work with unions and operators to retrain, redeploy, and fund those affected. The IWGB, however, wants the rollout stopped.
Jobs aren't the only concern. Under the government's interim Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) issues operating permits. TfL must consent before a service launches in London, but cannot independently suspend or revoke a permit once issued.
Dive deeper
- Union urges Mayor to halt driverless taxi rollout as City Hall report raises questions about safety, congestion, and who's actually in charge
- BT Tower's rooftop pool plan brings swimmers back down to earth 19 days ago
- Wayve and Uber steal a march on Waymo with paid self-driving London rides September 4, 2026
- 'Uber rapture' leaves passengers and drivers behind in Nigeria and Uganda September 3, 2026
- Waymo has designed a robocar chip to stay ahead of Tesla August 20, 2026