Around 20 London private hire drivers protest robotaxi rollout outside Wayve headquarters

Around 20 private hire drivers gathered outside Wayve's King's Cross headquarters on Saturday to protest London's first driverless car trial, launched last month. The rally was organized by the App Drivers' and Couriers' Union, which is calling for drivers to be compensated as "collateral damage." Uber driver Abdurzak Hadi, 50, who has driven for the platform for more than 12 years, said he had been made to feel "like an old car that's not needed any more."

The vehicles are hailed through Uber's app, each still carrying a human safety driver who can take the wheel. More than 140,000 Londoners have already opted in through the same ride-hailing app to signal a preference for self-driving vehicles. The app that assigns the drivers' trips is also collecting demand for rides without them, and a full commercial rollout is expected in 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

Hadi said London drivers would be forced to compete with a machine that can work 24 hours a day. He wants the rollout stopped "completely" and has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to make his position clear: "Speak out, because a lot of people are going to be impacted currently as Londoners and these are the people you promised to protect in every aspect."

Transport for London granted minicab licences for the self-driving vehicles in August. The London Assembly Transport Committee has urged the government to give TfL the power to cap how many autonomous vehicles operators can deploy — a power TfL does not hold. The committee's recent report says it has not yet heard sufficient evidence to persuade it that London should welcome driverless services. The trial continues regardless, with concerns already raised about road safety, passenger safety and congestion.

Khan has said nothing firm. Brent councillor Amandine Alexandre, a Green Party councillor, noted that the mayor appears "probably not very enthusiastic" about robotaxis but has not come out firmly against them — in contrast to his opposition to the expansion of Heathrow Airport. She said the vehicles would "really change London for the worse" and that people can still decide they do not want them. The mayor's office was contacted for comment.

Hadi has spent more than 12 years driving for Uber. The app is now asking its London passengers whether they would like a self-driving vehicle instead.