A senior London Assembly Member has described driverless taxis as a 'huge opportunity' for outer London, but stressed the need to avoid increased congestion. Caroline Russell, chair of the Transport Committee, took a 15-minute ride in a Wayve self-driving car in North London on Monday (June 15).
Safety Reassured, but Concerns Remain
Russell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the experience was 'very smooth, really quite dull' and 'reassuring' from a safety perspective. However, she highlighted potential issues with job losses and congestion. 'We also need to think about the model of how they're actually rolling this out,' she said. 'The autonomous passenger vehicle, which is like a replacement for Uber and private hire drivers, has huge issues with potential job losses, but also potentially means more congestion on our streets.'
Wayve's Plans and Regulatory Hurdles
British firm Wayve aims to launch its fleet of self-driving cabs on London's roads in the coming months, pending approval from the Department for Transport, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and Transport for London. The London Assembly Transport Committee has launched an investigation into the city's readiness for robotaxis and their alignment with the Mayor's transport strategy.
Learning from Oslo
Last week, the committee heard from Thomas Ableman, former TfL Director of Strategy and Innovation, who suggested looking to Oslo for inspiration. Oslo has integrated self-driving vehicles into its public transport network, serving transport 'deserts' without causing congestion in busier areas. Russell suggested that driverless taxis could operate like 'mini buses' in outer London, where public transport options are limited, carrying passengers to transport hubs.
Impact on Taxi Drivers and Jobs
Committee member Bassam Mahfouz, representing Ealing and Hillingdon, stressed the need to balance commuter interests with those of existing taxi drivers. The number of black cab drivers in London has fallen from 22,810 in 2014 to 14,800 in 2024, and the rollout of self-driving taxis could further harm the trade.
TfL's Position
A TfL spokesperson said: 'Safety is our top priority, and we are interested in learning more about technologies that could potentially help deliver safety benefits for all road users. Legislation must set a high benchmark and consider the impact on all road users, and in London the roll out of AVs must support achieving the aims of the Mayor's Transport Strategy.'
