By Karim Hammam
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a cap on the number of robotaxis allowed on the city's streets, warning that politicians have failed to grasp the rapid pace of change in autonomous vehicle technology. His intervention comes as the UK government moves closer to permitting fully driverless vehicles to operate in the capital.
Concerns over jobs, congestion and air quality
Khan said the rules governing autonomous cars may not be fit for purpose and raised unanswered questions about their impact on air quality, traffic congestion, and the livelihoods of private-hire and black-taxi drivers. "What we don't want is a situation where there's a big bang without proper regulation in place," he said, urging incremental rollout and greater powers for Transport for London (TfL) to manage robotaxi services.
Industry moves accelerate
The mayor's comments follow a series of industry developments. In September, Uber began offering limited passenger rides in Wayve self-driving cars with a safety driver present, under a TfL licence. Meanwhile, Freenow by Lyft, a rival to Uber, unveiled Chinese-made Baidu robotaxis being tested in London and aims to launch fully driverless services as early as next year under a national licensing scheme. About 24 Baidu Apollo Go vehicles are currently being trialled in the Brent borough.
Regulatory gaps and local challenges
Under current regulations, TfL can only give or refuse consent for fully autonomous vehicles but cannot manage or license robotaxi services. Khan argued that London's dense population, narrow roads and complex layout differ significantly from cities like San Francisco where robotaxis already operate. Drivers' unions have staged protests at the London headquarters of Wayve and Waymo, reflecting fears over job losses.
Industry response and future plans
Freenow by Lyft's UK and Ireland general manager, Danny O'Gorman, welcomed the national framework as a catalyst for investment but acknowledged that operational regulation still needs to be ironed out. The company is working closely with TfL and plans a purpose-built autonomous vehicle depot in the UK, which could provide remote operating and servicing jobs for displaced taxi drivers. O'Gorman noted that the black-cab industry faces bigger risks from an ageing driver workforce and high vehicle costs than from near-term robotaxi competition.
