The UK needs to answer serious questions about jobs, sovereignty and public services before it goes much further down the road to driverless transport, the Institute for Driverless Transport (IfDT) says, as robotaxi trials continue in London.
The IfDT, an independent UK research and convening body focused on the consequences of autonomous vehicles, raises the sovereignty question: "Will Britain become dependent on autonomous vehicle services for any key activities and what fallback options will exist if a supplier fails or withdraws?" It also asks: "To what extent does professional driving form part of the UK's employment safety net and how will this function be recreated if demand for professional drivers is significantly reduced?"
The group's research drew on work with operators trying to bring AVs to London and the regulators responsible for policy, and on more than 30 conversations with councils, operators, industry, unions, charities, insurers, lawyers and universities. IfDT said UK authorities still need to answer a long list of questions to shape long-term infrastructure plans and prepare for AI's impact on the labour market. It also questioned which public bodies should already be anticipating the impact of AVs on their own work and who within those organisations should lead a response.
James Hutt, IfDT co-founder, said: "What struck us most in the interviews was how far this reaches: into jobs, public services, the built environment and national resilience. The people who know those areas best are rarely part of the conversation about AVs." Hutt said the group's next step is to bring funding and researchers together with the businesses and public bodies that need answers, inviting anyone who can fund research or offer a place to test it to get in touch.
In August, Transport for London granted private hire licences to autonomous vehicle operators, provided a human driver is present during journeys. Wayve and Uber have since launched self-driving rides in the capital, with 15 electric Ford Mustangs equipped with the Wayve AI driver set to pick up passengers with a safety driver on board. Wayve has also demonstrated a Nissan LEAF running its AI driver using NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion. IfDT notes that Waymo and Baidu are preparing services for London, while Uber, Pony.ai and Verne have begun testing in Manchester.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Driverless taxis are already operating in London, and the questions IfDT raises affect whether and how the rollout expands to other cities and services.
- The answers will shape public infrastructure planning, employment policy and the resilience of essential services if AV suppliers fail.
- The group's call for wider involvement could influence who gets a seat at the table as regulation develops.
Background
Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars, use sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence to navigate roads without a human driver. The UK has been gradually preparing for their introduction, with regulators balancing safety requirements against the potential benefits of the technology. London is one of several cities worldwide where robotaxi trials are under way.
What to Watch
- Whether IfDT succeeds in bringing funding and researchers together with businesses and public bodies to answer the questions it has raised.
- Whether any public bodies begin planning for the impact of autonomous vehicles on their own work.
- Progress of Waymo and Baidu's preparations for London and the Manchester testing by Uber, Pony.ai and Verne.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe UK needs answers on jobs and sovereignty before driverless expansion, according to IfDT.www.theregister.com - Articles: “As robotaxis continue trials in London, an independent research group thinks the UK needs to answer some serious questions before heading any further down the road.”
- SupportedIfDT says the UK must answer questions about supplier failures and professional driving as robotaxi trials continue in London.www.theregister.com - Articles: “As robotaxis continue trials in London”
- SupportedThe questions concern jobs, sovereignty and public services before the UK expands driverless transport further.www.theregister.com - Articles: “What struck us most in the interviews was how far this reaches: into jobs, public services, the built environment and national resilience.”
- SupportedIfDT asks whether Britain could become dependent on autonomous-vehicle services and what fallback options would exist if a supplier fails or withdraws.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Will Britain become dependent on autonomous vehicle services for any key activities and what fallback options will exist if a supplier fails or withdraws?”
- SupportedIfDT asks how professional driving fits into the UK’s employment safety net and how that function could be recreated if demand for professional drivers falls significantly.www.theregister.com - Articles: “To what extent does professional driving form part of the UK's employment safety net and how will this function be recreated if demand for professional drivers is significantly reduced?”
- SupportedThe research drew on work with operators seeking to bring AVs to London, regulators responsible for policy, and more than 30 conversations with a range of groups.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The research draws on work with operators trying to bring AVs to London and the regulators responsible for policy. It also relied on more than 30 conversations with councils, operators, industry, unions, charities, insurers, lawyers and universities.”
- Partly supportedIfDT says UK authorities still need to answer questions to shape long-term infrastructure plans and prepare for AI’s impact on the labour market.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The research organization said UK authorities still need to answer a long list of questions in order to shape long-term infrastructure plans for local areas and prepare for AI's impact on the labor market.”
- SupportedJames Hutt said the interviews showed AVs affect jobs, public services, the built environment and national resilience, and that people with expertise in those areas are rarely part of the conversation.www.theregister.com - Articles: “What struck us most in the interviews was how far this reaches: into jobs, public services, the built environment and national resilience. The people who know those areas best are rarely part of the conversation about AVs.”
- SupportedHutt said IfDT’s next step is to bring funding and researchers together with businesses and public bodies that need answers, and invited offers of research funding or test locations.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Our next step is to bring funding and researchers together with the businesses and public bodies that need answers. If you can fund research or offer a place to test it, we would like to hear from you.”
- SupportedIn August, TfL granted autonomous-vehicle operators private-hire licences on the condition that a human driver is present during journeys.www.theregister.com - Articles: “In August, Transport for London (TfL) granted private hire licences to autonomous vehicle operators provided that a human driver is present during journeys.”
- SupportedWayve and Uber launched self-driving rides in London, with 15 electric Ford Mustangs equipped with the Wayve AI driver set to carry passengers with a safety driver on board.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Wayve and Uber have since launched self-driving rides in the UK capital, with 15 electric Ford Mustangs, equipped with the Wayve AI driver, set to pick up passengers with a safety driver on board.”
- SupportedWayve demonstrated a Nissan LEAF running its AI driver using NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion.www.theregister.com - Articles: “UK company Wayve also demoed a Nissan LEAF, running the Wayve AI Driver using NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion with self-driving equipment built more closely into the car's design.”
