London’s Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association has dismissed Uber’s Wayve robotaxi launch as hype that will fade.
General secretary Steve McNamara told the Mirror the cars are “a novelty, a gimmick at best”, noting they still carry a human safety operator told not to speak to passengers.
Congestion and deadheading
McNamara argues London’s junctions are too busy for cautious autonomous systems that may sit still if another vehicle is nearby, and that empty “deadheading” between jobs will not be tolerated as black cabs usually wait on ranks or park up.
He also questions maintenance, storage and lost-property handling without a driver, and says Brits will not switch unless fares are much cheaper.
GMB senior organiser David McMullen separately urged TfL and government to plan for job disruption before true driverless services expand. Wayve and Uber were contacted for comment by the Mirror.