London Minicab Union Demands Halt to Robotaxi Rollouts as Safety Report Exposes Regulatory Gaps

The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain is urging Transport for London to halt the rollout of driverless taxis following a critical 66-page London Assembly Transport Committee report. A YouGov survey commissioned by the committee found that 42% of Londoners oppose autonomous passenger vehicles, compared to just 29% who support them and 29% who would likely use one. London currently has approximately 105,000 licensed private hire drivers, and union leaders warn the technology could put thousands out of work while benefiting tech companies and investors. The committee report detailed multiple autonomous test vehicle incidents, including a car reportedly entering a police crime scene cordon in April, another turning the wrong way into a one-way street in June, and a reported collision with a motorcycle in July. Google's Waymo has been testing cars in the capital with hopes to launch a commercial fleet of "low hundreds" this year, while Freenow and Baidu target a fully driverless launch in 2027. "Every car feeds a family, and the prospect of not being able to earn money leaves us all with a deep uncertainty as to how we will provide for them. We already struggle to get by as it is." — Gholomreza Kamyabi.