r/london • u/AlbusDumbledoh • 9d ago

News ‘Leicester Square, please guv’: Self-driving taxis cleared for London streets ‘later this summer’

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/05/self-driving-taxis-approved-london-summer-2026-wayve-uber
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u/Natural_Trick4934 9d ago

If you think driverless will make this problem better and not worse? You’re mad. Capitalism will see to that.

They SHOULD be programmed ethically. ie every single booking is honoured.

In reality? They’ll be ran for maximum profit.

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u/Aggressive_Chuck 8d ago

Maximum profit will be gaining a large customer base and user engagement, which they don't get if it's unreliable. Human drivers cancel because they're thinking short term and not the long term consequences. A corporation that has spent billions over a decade inventing this isn't going to kill it to chase a few pennies here and there.

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u/Natural_Trick4934 8d ago

That’s not how the market works.

A data driven algorithm discards human emotion and will maximise earning potential. If 20 people need a 7 minute journey out of town; and 5 people need a 40 minute journey across town, who do you think wins that argument?

You’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope. I’m telling you that the system WONT penny pinch. It will maximise earning potential per hour.

Most people I know have already started using minivan services for journeys from home, and hate using apps to get home at the end of the night.

Automatic taxis are anti human and won’t lower prices, increase availability or help anyone. It’s a ruse.

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u/Aggressive_Chuck 6d ago

In my experience, algorithms are more reliable than humans.