In London, England, passengers now have the option to hail driverless taxis. This Thursday, Uber became the first company in the city to launch self-driving mini taxis.
In the initial phase, London has only 15 self-driving vehicles that have been granted operational licenses, each equipped with a safety driver to take control of the vehicle in case of emergencies.
According to BBC journalist Zoe Kleinman, who became the first UK reporter to hail a self-driving mini taxi, she described her ride as generally smooth. However, there was one instance where the safety driver intervened and took control of the vehicle.
While some cities in the United States have experienced breakdowns with autonomous vehicles in operation, Uber stated that after conducting surveys through their app among London customers, over 100,000 customers expressed their preference for self-driving taxis if given the choice.
Currently, the fares for riding in driverless taxis in the UK are the same as those for standard UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort, with the fare displayed in advance on the app.
Passengers will only see the option of selecting a self-driving vehicle on the app after booking a trip and when a self-driving car is available nearby.
Sarfraz Maredia, head of Uber’s global autonomous travel and delivery, mentioned that the self-driving taxi plan will be implemented in stages over the next few years.
He stated that Uber has always aimed to provide consumers with the option to ride in vehicles driven by human drivers or self-driving cars. As demand continues to grow, London can expect to have human drivers with Uber for a long time to come alongside the introduction of self-driving taxis.