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Posted on the 16th July 2026 in PHTM News

TAXI UNION DEMANDS NEW PRIME MINISTER HALTS LONDON ROBOTAXI TRIALS

The App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) has made an urgent appeal to incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham, demanding he immediately halt upcoming trials of driverless cars in the capital.

The union warns that a September rollout of robotaxis from Silicon Valley giants Waymo and Uber/Wayve would treat Londoners as "guinea pigs for unproven technology."

It argues that driverless cars pose a direct threat to public safety and could worsen traffic congestion. Beyond safety, the ADCU warns of a devastating economic blow to the city's transport workforce, putting the livelihoods of over 105,000 licensed private hire drivers at risk.

To prevent this, it is calling for a legally binding "just transition" to protect professional drivers from sudden automation.

Critics also highlight a worrying lack of transparency around how autonomous vehicle accidents are reported. The ADCU recently warned the London Assembly that without strict rules, there will be no "democratic accountability" when things go wrong.

Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, the general secretary of the ADCU, emphasised the unique challenges of navigating the city, stating: "London has some of the most complex urban roads in the world."

She insisted that before any commercial driverless cars are allowed on the streets, there must be independent proof that they are "demonstrably safer than a professional human driver."

Ioanitescu praised the dedication of the city's current workforce, noting that they have kept London moving through pandemics and major disruptions. She argued that these workers "deserve better than to have their livelihoods sacrificed in the interests of Silicon Valley technology companies" and concluded bluntly: "We are nowhere near ready for driverless taxis on London’s streets."

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