Private hire drivers, working on platforms including Uber and Bolt, disrupted a London Assembly Transport Committee meeting on 24 June to protest the planned rollout of driverless cars on London’s streets.

The meeting at City Hall included a discussion on the future of autonomous vehicle technology, with industry stakeholders invited to give evidence to members of the London Assembly and TfL officials. Speakers included a representative from Waymo, the leading commercial robotaxi operator worldwide, and Wayve, a UK based autonomous vehicle technology company that secured more than a billion pounds in funding from Uber.

Drivers belonging to the IWGB Union stood and interrupted the meeting to raise concerns directly with London’s transport decision-makers. Protesters highlighted concerns around passenger safety, the impact of additional vehicles on already congested roads, and the threat posed to more than 100,000 private hire driver jobs.

During the meeting, one driver challenged claims made about accessibility benefits and raised concerns that disabled passengers’ needs were being used to justify the rollout of driverless vehicles. Another highlighted the absence of drivers from the discussions, questioning why those whose livelihoods would be affected had not been invited to take part.

The meeting was forced to a stop several times as individual drivers spoke out, with the committee and speakers leaving the room whilst security officers removed protesters.

Last month the government passed legislation allowing companies to begin testing robotaxis on UK roads and apply for permits to start using them commercially. Tech firms have been trialling the cars on London streets as part of this application process, but TfL still has the power to refuse to issue these permits in London. 

Unions and other groups have raised concerns about the pace of development and the lack of consultation with the public and with workers who could be affected.

Rez Kamyabi, a driver of 10 years and an IWGB member who protested inside the meeting, said: “We interrupted today’s meeting because we can’t afford to wait. TfL is considering plans that could push tens of thousands of drivers into mass unemployment.

"I’ve been a driver for more than ten years, and despite everything that is wrong with the sector it’s a job that I’m skilled at and that I enjoy. I won’t let them take it from me, just so that tech bosses can get even richer.

"When drivers united with the IWGB during the licence crisis last year, we got organised, we protested, and we forced TfL to fix the delays crisis. We can win against them again. But we need drivers across London to team up in bigger numbers than ever before. 

"We call on all private hire drivers to join us because it's now or never. If drivers do not act, decisions will be made without us by people who will not face the consequences. Either we come together and fight, or soon we may not have anything left to fight for.”

Alex Marshall, President of the IWGB Union said: “We are sleepwalking into a crisis. TfL needs to wake up and put the brakes on this threat to our city. Robotaxis will clog up our roads, put the public in danger, threaten more than a hundred thousand drivers’ jobs, and transfer power from the hands of Londoners to the hands of tech execs.

"The people who live in this city and make it great have not even been consulted about this wholesale takeover of our public space. Decisions about London’s future cannot be made without the voices of the communities who will be affected.

"The government is rushing through these cars in the name of ‘innovation’, but innovation only matters when it serves people. What value is innovation when it does not serve London communities, does not serve workers, and only benefits the billionaires behind these companies?

"Together we can claim back London for Londoners, not tech billionaires. Drivers in Texas and New York have already halted the rollout. If London drivers unite like we did during the licence crisis, we can force TfL to the table and do the same."

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