A London cabbies’ honest view on driverless cars | BBC News

Londoners can now travel in autonomous cars for the first time, after Uber was granted a licence to operate a test fleet of self-driving vehicles. Each vehicle must have a safety driver behind the wheel, but the UK government says fully self-driving cars will be available in late 2027.

Driverless cars are the latest threat facing London’s iconic black cabs, over a decade after the introduction of ride-sharing apps revolutionised transport in the city.

Tristan Redman meets Tom Scullion, who has been a cabbie for over 30 years, and asks whether one of the world’s hardest memory tests – the Knowledge – can compete with AI.

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Timecodes:

0:00 - Introduction to episode

0:40 - We meet Black cab driver Tom

2:25 - What's a typical day in the life of a taxi driver?

3:58 - How do you become a black cab driver?

7:16 - How did Uber affect black cab drivers?

8:49 - Tom's thoughts on driverless cars

10:11 Are driverless cars safer?

12:10 - Why does Tom think they won't work in London

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

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