PAUSE CALLED: Private hire union calls for London autonomous vehicle trials to be halted over safety and jobs fears
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
App Drivers’ and Couriers’ Union (ADCU) has called for an immediate pause to the expansion of autonomous passenger vehicle trials in London, warning that the technology could put public safety, accessibility and more than 100,000 private hire jobs at risk without stronger oversight.
The union has submitted formal evidence to the London Assembly Transport Committee as part of its inquiry into autonomous passenger vehicles, with the consultation closing today. In its submission, the ADCU argues that no further rollout of trials should take place until comprehensive safety, economic and equality assessments have been completed.
According to the union, autonomous vehicle deployment risks increasing congestion, weakening transport accessibility and causing significant disruption to London’s private hire workforce unless safeguards are introduced before wider adoption. It is calling on the Transport for London and the Mayor of London to play a more active regulatory role by requiring London-specific safety testing, greater transparency around incidents and near misses, stronger accessibility standards and a legally enforceable “Just Transition” plan for affected workers.
The ADCU also argues that many Londoners are concerned about the pace at which autonomous vehicle pilots are progressing without what it describes as sufficient public consultation or democratic scrutiny. The union says technological innovation should benefit the public rather than primarily serving the commercial interests of global technology companies.
The submission follows comments made earlier this week by David Lammy, who said he did not believe society could “stand in the face of innovation” when discussing autonomous vehicles. Responding in a public Facebook statement, the ADCU said its position “has never been to stand in the face of innovation,” adding that “innovation cannot be at the expense of drivers’ livelihoods and jobs.”
The union highlighted what it believes would be the employment impact of large-scale autonomous vehicle adoption. It said London’s private hire sector supports around 106,000 licensed drivers, many of whom are over the age of 40 and could face significant financial hardship if displaced.
The ADCU also questioned whether new employment opportunities created by autonomous vehicle technology would benefit UK workers, arguing that many roles associated with operating autonomous systems are likely to be linked to overseas data centre infrastructure rather than secure domestic employment.
As part of its submission, the ADCU is calling for autonomous vehicle pilots to be paused until public consultation has taken place, alongside independent London-specific safety assessments, full economic and equality impact assessments, enhanced accessibility requirements for disabled and vulnerable passengers, and a legally enforceable Just Transition plan covering drivers and other transport workers.
Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, General Secretary of ADCU, said: “London cannot allow autonomous vehicle pilots to be rushed through without proper scrutiny of the consequences for safety, accessibility, congestion and jobs. This is potentially the biggest threat to drivers’ livelihoods in living memory. We are not anti-technology, but we are absolutely clear that innovation must not come at the cost of workers, passengers or the public interest.”
