Labour councillor Geoff Barraclough has questioned plans to introduce driverless taxis in London, warning that they could increase congestion and put jobs at risk without addressing a clear transport need.
Barraclough, who represents Maida Vale and serves as Westminster Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Growth, Planning and Culture, made the intervention following reports that the capital’s robotaxi rollout had been delayed.
Writing on social media, Barraclough said:
“I’m not sure what problem robo-taxis solve in London. If successful, they will likely raise both congestion and unemployment. Instead, direct them to rural areas with little or no taxi coverage today.”
His comments come after The Guardian reported that fully autonomous taxi services are now unlikely to begin operating in London this year because of continuing regulatory and technical hurdles.
Uber and British artificial-intelligence company Wayve have received the first London private-hire licences permitting them to offer rides using self-driving technology. However, the initial vehicles must still have a licensed human safety driver behind the wheel who can intervene when required.
The companies had previously said that small-scale passenger trials would begin later this summer, ahead of an eventual fully driverless service.
Transport for London has yet to publish the detailed guidance companies must follow before receiving approval to operate without a driver. TfL strategy director Christina Calderato told the London Assembly that the authority still had a considerable amount of work to complete and was not rushing to issue the rules.
No vehicle has yet received approval to operate through the Government’s new automated passenger services permit system.
Supporters argue that autonomous vehicles could improve safety, expand consumer choice and make journeys more convenient. Uber and Wayve say more than 100,000 Londoners have joined a waiting list for their proposed service.
However, Barraclough’s intervention raises wider questions about how the technology would affect congestion, professional drivers and London’s already extensive public transport and private-hire networks.
He suggested that autonomous vehicles could instead be used to improve transport connections in rural and isolated communities where residents may have few alternatives and existing taxi coverage is limited.
The delay gives ministers, TfL and London’s boroughs more time to consider safeguards covering passenger safety, accessibility, insurance, employment standards, data use and the potential effect on traffic levels.
Barraclough’s argument is that technological innovation should be directed towards solving genuine social and economic problems. Any future rollout will need to demonstrate that autonomous taxis can complement public transport, improve accessibility and benefit communities—rather than simply place more vehicles on already congested London streets.
