Checkmate, Tesla Cybercab! Uber to trial driverless taxis in London

Uber is to begin trials of driverless taxis in London next year, ahead of the Tesla Cybercab, which is touted to make its debut in the US “before 2027”.

The ride-hailing platform has already been working with UK artificial intelligence firm Wayve to perfect its Level 4 autonomous driving technology in what Uber has described as “complex driving environments”.

This announcement comes shortly after the Government said it would begin implementing a fast-tracking framework to introduce autonomous “taxi and bus-like” pilot services to UK roads; the previous Conservative administration originally intended to put in place legislation to see fully autonomous taxis on UK roads by 2026, but this has since been pushed back a year.

In a statement, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the UK’s commitment to autonomous vehicles will “drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to our economy.”

Uber has not confirmed whether its driverless taxi pilot scheme will be open to the general public or how it will be implemented; the firm says it will announce details in the coming months. Nevertheless, its chief operating officer, Andrew Macdonald, reiterated that: “[Uber’s] vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.”

Of course, there is still a long way to go before our streets are fully populated by autonomous vehicles; the Government’s Automated Vehicles Act will require driverless cars to “achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers”. 

Liability in the event of an accident will be placed on the firm responsible for the taxi itself, with occupants blameless for anything that occurs. If there are controls mounted in the car, occupants will instead be referred to as “users-in-charge”, but they can still escape liability in some instances.

While Uber looks poised to introduce its driverless services in a matter of months, many firms (including Tesla) have hit roadblocks along the way, with critics questioning the feasibility of implementing such schemes safely.

The general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, Steve McNamara, told the Guardian newspaper that the Government is “living in fantasy land. We’re probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London.

“Most people haven’t got a robot hoover or a robot lawnmower even though they are absolutely fantastic,” McNamara remarked. “Are people who don’t trust a robot to cut their grass or clean their house going to trust one to take their kids to school or drive their elderly mum around? Come back to me in 2040.”

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