Introduction to Self-Driving Taxis
Self-driving taxis could be on the streets of London from next year, according to autonomous taxi company Waymo. Taxis have become a staple on the streets of San Francisco and have recently been introduced to Tokyo. London, often associated with the famous black taxi, will be the first European city to introduce driverless taxis.
Reaction from Taxi Drivers
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, which represents taxi drivers in London, is not worried about the introduction of self-driving taxis. "Will I be worried in 25 years? Maybe. I’m certainly not worried at the moment," he said. "It’s a novelty, it’s a gimmick. It’s the solution we don’t need. Who needs a driverless taxi?" He added that he didn’t think Londoners would trust taxis, let alone "putting their children in one to go to school".
Waymo’s Response
In response, Waymo told that it "offers hundreds of thousands of rides every week in the US and announced in May of this year that we have offered over 10,000,000 fully autonomous rides to the public." A Waymo spokesperson said, "This growth reflects a genuine appreciation, love and trust in serving our growing number of riders where we operate. We’re excited to soon introduce the reliability, security and magic of Waymo to Londoners."
Plans for London
Waymo said its autonomous cars are on their way to London and will be on the capital’s streets "in the coming weeks", albeit with "safety drivers" behind the wheel. The company is working with both the Department for Transport and the London Department of Transport to “obtain the necessary approvals to offer fully autonomous journeys in 2026.” These approvals are contingent on the government finalizing self-driving car regulations and giving Waymo the green light to operate.
Other Companies
Uber and the British company Wayve also plan to test driverless taxis in the capital next year. The government announced plans to introduce autonomous vehicle pilots on English roads by spring 2026, which could create nearly 40,000 jobs, make roads safer and bring billions to the economy.
Incidents Involving Waymo Taxis
Since Waymo launched in the US, there have been a number of high-profile incidents involving the cars. In September, a Waymo taxi was spotted taking a ride “Illegal U-turn “right in front of” the officers” at a traffic light. Earlier this year, a ‘Dazed’ Waymo passenger almost missed his flight after his taxi started driving in circles. Last year, Waymo was forced to repair a fleet of cars after residents complained about their constant honking.
