Sadiq Khan calls for cap on numbers of robotaxis on London streets

Khan said politicians had failed to "grasp the pace of change" from the technology, which could threaten jobs and increase congestion in the city. He questioned whether the current rules for autonomous cars were fit for purpose.

His comments came after Chinese robotaxis being tested in London were unveiled by Freenow by Lyft, a rival to Uber. In September, Uber started offering limited passenger services in Wayve's self-driving cars, albeit with a safety driver in the front seat, under licence from TfL.

Regulation concerns

Freenow by Lyft is hoping to launch fully driverless Baidu robotaxis as early as next year under a national licensing scheme. However, Khan said the city needed to be able to limit the rollout of these vehicles.

Impact on drivers

Khan highlighted unanswered questions about the technology's impact on air quality, congestion, and livelihoods of private hire vehicle drivers and black-taxi drivers. Drivers' unions have held protests at London HQs of Wayve and Waymo recently, with many Uber drivers fearing for their future.

The mayor noted there's currently no cap on the number of private hire vehicles or taxis in London. "London isn't San Francisco. We're a city of almost 10 million, 400 villages, narrow roads, and it's really important to get this right," Khan said.

Testing challenges

Under current regulations, TfL can only give or refuse consent for autonomous vehicles within London but cannot manage or license robotaxi services. Freenow by Lyft said the UK's national framework for driverless cars was an important factor for their operations.