London Assembly urges tougher robotaxi powers after finding evidence gap

London Assembly’s Transport Committee has said it has not heard enough evidence to conclude that London should welcome autonomous passenger services, while setting out 13 recommendations for tighter oversight of robotaxis.

It urged a shift of authority to Transport for London when the full Automated Vehicles Act regulations are introduced in 2027. TfL should be able to issue and withdraw Automated Passenger Service permits, set operating conditions and cap the number of autonomous passenger vehicles, including by area, it said.

At present, the Government issues the permits and TfL must consent before a service operates in London. The committee also proposed a process during the current pilot period in which TfL could request a permit suspension, triggering an immediate halt while the transport secretary decides the case.

The report called for a safety threshold stronger than the Act’s benchmark of performance equivalent to, or better than, a “careful and competent” human driver. Operators should provide concrete London-specific evidence that their vehicles and deployment plans reduce road danger under the Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy, rather than relying on studies and assessments from American cities, whose findings may not translate to London’s road network.

It recommended that crashes and near misses be defined as safety incidents, reported within 24 hours and accompanied by the automated driving system’s preceding decisions. TfL should continuously monitor and publish empty miles alongside traffic and congestion data, while surveying passengers on why they chose an autonomous vehicle and how they would otherwise have travelled. The committee said adverse congestion effects should justify withdrawal of consent once TfL has full powers.

The recommendations also address accessibility, personal safety and emergency responses. The committee heard that vehicles in trial were not wheelchair accessible and that driverless operation could leave older and disabled passengers without help getting into a vehicle. It called for services to be co-designed with disabled people, safeguarding standards at least equal to those for taxis and private-hire vehicles, and DBS checks for UK-based remote assistants.

TfL should also devise a common protocol with the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade for autonomous vehicles’ interactions with emergency services. The committee cited evidence of hesitant vehicles, unexpected manoeuvres and disjointed emergency-service interactions as risks relevant to London.

The recommendations arrive as TfL has approved Uber and Wayve for a supervised robocab trial of up to 15 vehicles for one year. The electric Ford Mustang Mach-Es hold private-hire licences, but a trained TfL-licensed private-hire driver must remain on board to supervise and take over if necessary. A separate Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency approval would be required before a vehicle could operate without a human driver.

Uber said more than 100,000 Londoners joined its interest list for Wayve autonomous rides during the eight weeks before the companies’ announcement. The committee said autonomous passenger services could affect congestion, public transport, accessibility, safeguarding, emergency-service interactions and employment in London’s taxi and private-hire industry.