Private hire driver union urges possible new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to HALT London driverless ride hail trials
- Perry Richardson
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
The App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) has called on possible future Prime Minister Andy Burnham to suspend plans for driverless vehicle trials in London, arguing that the capital is “nowhere near ready” for autonomous taxis and that the Government should prioritise public safety and the interests of working people before allowing commercial services onto public roads.
The union is urging Burnham to make a pause in the planned trials one of his first actions in office. ADCU says autonomous passenger vehicles should not be introduced until independent safety assessments, economic impact studies and meaningful public consultation have been completed.
The intervention follows the union’s formal submission to the London Assembly Transport Committee. In that submission, ADCU warned that autonomous passenger vehicles could undermine public safety, increase congestion, displace tens of thousands of professional drivers and reduce democratic accountability if introduced before appropriate safeguards are in place. The union also repeated its call for a legally enforceable “Just Transition” to protect workers whose jobs may be affected by automation.
Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, General Secretary of the App Drivers & Couriers Union, said: “The Government should not allow Londoners to become guinea pigs for unproven technology. We are nowhere near ready for driverless taxis on London’s streets.”
She added: “London has some of the most complex urban roads in the world. Before a single commercial autonomous vehicle is allowed to carry passengers, there must be independent evidence that it is demonstrably safer than a professional human driver, transparent reporting of incidents and near misses, and proper democratic oversight.”
Ioanitescu also highlighted the potential impact on London’s licensed private hire workforce, saying: “More than 105,000 licensed private hire drivers work in London. These workers have kept the capital moving through pandemics, transport disruption and every major event over the last decade. They deserve better than to have their livelihoods sacrificed in the interests of Silicon Valley technology companies.”
While stressing the union is not opposed to technological progress, Ioanitescu said the way autonomous vehicles are introduced would determine whether they benefit society.
“Innovation should improve people’s lives, not simply maximise profits for technology companies,” she said. “We are not opposed to innovation, but it must be introduced responsibly, transparently and fairly. The public deserves confidence that safety comes first, and workers deserve confidence that they will not be abandoned in the race towards automation.”
The union believes a pause would allow ministers to establish stronger safeguards before any commercial rollout. Ioanitescu said: “A pause would send a clear signal about the new Government’s priorities and demonstrate that a Burnham-led government is prepared to put public safety ahead of corporate lobbying and stand in solidarity with the gig economy workers who keep London’s economy moving every day.”
The debate comes as the UK prepares for the introduction of commercial self-driving passenger services under legislation intended to support autonomous vehicle deployment. Technology developers argue autonomous systems could reduce collisions caused by human error and improve mobility, while critics continue to question whether the technology is sufficiently mature for operation in dense urban environments such as London and what the long-term impact could be on professional drivers.
