Sadiq Khan calls for cap on numbers of robotaxis on London streets
Source: The Guardian ·
Mayor questions impact on air quality, congestion and jobs as government poised to allow driverless vehicles in capitalLondon’s mayor has called for a cap on the numbers of robotaxis on its streets, with the UK government poised to allow fully driverless vehicles to operate in the capital.Sadiq Khan said politicians had failed to “grasp the pace of change” from the technology, which could…
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London’s mayor has called for a cap on the numbers of robotaxis on its streets, with the UK government poised to allow fully driverless vehicles to operate in the capital. Sadiq Khan said politicians had failed to “grasp the pace of change” from the technology, which could threaten jobs and increase congestion in the city, and questioned whether the rules for autonomous cars were fit for purpose. His comments came after Chinese robotaxis, now being tested in London, were unveiled by Freenow by Lyft, a rival to Uber. In September Uber started offering limited passenger services in Wayve’s self-driving cars, albeit with a safety driver in the front seat, under licence from Transport for London (TfL). Freenow by Lyft is hoping to launch fully driverless Baidu robotaxis as early as next year, under a national licensing scheme. However, the companies, as well as Waymo – which operates robotaxis in San Francisco and other US cities – are primarily focusing on London and Khan said the city…