Mayor of London pledges to work with taxi trade to minimise the impact of driverless vehicles as policy develops
- Perry Richardson
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Mayor of London has pledged to work with the taxi industry and trade unions to minimise the impact of driverless vehicle technology on jobs and livelihoods, as questions continue over how automated passenger services could affect the capital’s black cab trade.
The commitment was made in a written response to a Mayor’s Question Time submission from Alex Wilson of Reform UK on 20 November 2025, which asked what effect driverless cars are expected to have on black cabs in London. The final response was published on 4 December after officers completed drafting.
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City Hall says automation will not be introduced at the expense of jobs as London awaits national regulations
In his answer, Sadiq Khan stressed that London does not yet have any automated passenger services operating and that there is currently no evidence to assess their impact on taxi ridership or wider transport patterns. He said this reflected the fact that the national regulatory framework is still incomplete.
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 created the legal basis for Automated Passenger Service permits, which would allow driverless services resembling taxis, private hire vehicles or buses to operate under licence. However, government guidance on how those permits will work has not yet been issued, and detailed APS regulations are still expected to be set out in a future statutory instrument.
Despite the lack of live services, the Mayor acknowledged that automated passenger services could, in time, attract trips away from existing operators, including licensed taxis and private hire vehicles. He said this risk underpinned his commitment to engage directly with the industry as the technology develops.
While reaffirming London’s ambition to remain a global centre for innovation, enterprise and creativity, the Mayor said this must not come at the expense of people’s livelihoods. He stated that City Hall is committed to working with industry representatives and unions to ensure any introduction of automated vehicle services is managed in a way that works for all Londoners, including those currently earning a living in the taxi trade.
Control over whether driverless taxi-style services operate in the capital will also rest locally. The Mayor confirmed that Transport for London must give its consent before any APS permits can be issued in London, and that such consent would be based on whether applications support the objectives of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
For the black cab sector, the response signals that automation is not imminent and that any future deployment will be subject to both national regulation and local scrutiny, with an explicit commitment from City Hall to consider the impact on existing drivers as policy develops.
The Mayor of London said: “The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 created a new regulatory framework for passenger services which are to be provided in an automated vehicle. It provides for Automated Passenger Service (APS) permits to be issued by Government for services which resemble services provided by taxis, private hire or buses. Government is expected to issue guidance on APS permits and conditions of permits, and to lay APS regulations in a future statutory instrument.
“As the APS regulations are not yet laid and no APS operates in London, there is no real evidence of the impact of APS on taxi ridership or other modes in London. However, I recognise that APS could attract trips away from other services, including taxis and private hire vehicles. While we want London to be the global capital of innovation, enterprise and creativity, this must not be at the expense of jobs and livelihoods, and I am committed to working with industry and unions to ensure this technology is introduced in a way that works for all Londoners.
“TfL must consent before APS permits can be issued in London and this consent would be based on APS permit applications supporting the objectives of my Transport Strategy.”
