Calls have been made to suspend the trial over safety concerns
A planned driverless taxi launch in London this year could be threatened by increasing calls to suspend the programme over safety fears. You may have already spotted Waymo’s driverless vehicles on London’s streets, though they are currently still being operated by humans in order to map the city.
The government currently has plans to revise the Automated Vehicles Act later this year to permit driverless taxis to operate in and around the capital. However, American company Waymo came under fire in recent weeks when one of its vehicles collided with an active crime scene in Harlesden, Brent, on April 22.
Waymo’s plans to introduce a fully-driverless taxi service in London by September could now be at risk as a result of the collision, with Brent’s Green party launching a petition urging mayor Sadiq Khan to pause the rollout over safety fears.
However, Waymo highlighted the safety credentials of the cars, stating they were considerably safer than human drivers, particularly for pedestrians or cyclists. But how do the automated taxis actually work?
What is a Waymo driverless taxi?
Waymo is a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and is an American autonomous driving technology firm, which was responsible for creating the first self-driving Google project car in 2009. A Waymo driverless taxi is an electric vehicle fitted with numerous onboard sensors that eliminate the requirement for human control from the driver’s seat during full operation. The taxis currently run in several cities around the world, including Tokyo, San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Their aim is to make taxi travel safer, more convenient and technologically cutting-edge. They are capable of running around the clock, every day of the week.
How do the taxis work?
A Waymo driverless taxi employs a combination of cameras, radars, lidars and ultrasonic sensors. These are positioned all around the vehicle, while a computer situated in the boot processes data to determine how the car will respond in real-world driving situations.
This allows the taxi to visually cover distances of up to 500 metres from every angle, meaning that, when fully operational, a human safety driver behind the wheel is not required. Nevertheless, all Waymo driverless taxis are fitted with steering wheels. Should an emergency arise, the autonomous system can be overridden by manual control via the wheel itself.
“Our sensors are able to perceive the world around them, much better, much more accurately and with more of a field of view than human drivers can,” said Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo. The vehicle, she added, was capable of achieving a “superhuman level of perception”.
When could we see Waymo taxis launched if the scheme isn’t paused?
The Department for Transport (DfT) stated that automated vehicles will not be permitted to drive on public roads unless they meet ‘robust safety requirements’ and have the support of the relevant local authority. The DfT told the LDRS: “Keeping people safe on our roads is always our priority. Self-driving vehicles could unlock billions for the UK economy, but they will not be allowed to operate unless they have met robust safety requirements and received the backing of the relevant local authority.”
They added: “The Waymo vehicles currently on London’s roads are in a testing phase only, are not carrying passengers, and have safety drivers on board at all times.”
However, if all goes to plan, Waymo is aiming for its self-driving vehicles to be fully operational by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approval. At this point, it remains unclear which areas of London will have access to the driverless taxi service, with reports suggesting airport routes will not be included.
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