LONDON (AP) \u2014 The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination.<\/p>\n
The autonomous vehicle from British startup Wayve Technologies is on a test run ahead of the U.K. government\u2019s robotaxi trials set to launch in the spring. Tech companies including U.S. company Waymo<\/a> and China\u2019s Baidu<\/a> also plan to take part in the pilot program, making London the latest arena in the global robotaxi competition.<\/p>\n While self-driving<\/a> cabs aren\u2019t new, London\u2019s ancient road layout and busy streetscapes could pose special challenges for the technology.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also skepticism from London\u2019s famed black cab drivers, who must pass a grueling training course known as \u201cThe Knowledge,\u201d which requires memorizing hundreds of routes and takes years to complete. They\u2019ve previously opposed technology that\u2019s disrupted their industry, and protested<\/a> the arrival of Uber.<\/p>\n Self-driving taxis are \u201ca solution looking for a problem,\u201d said Steven McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers\u2019 Association, which represents black cabbies. <\/p>\n He doubts that robotaxis would have any advantage on London\u2019s road network, which is laid out in a convoluted spiderweb that dates back to Roman times \u2014 unlike the grid layout in American cities like San Francisco and Phoenix<\/a> where Waymo<\/a> operates.<\/p>\n The British capital is notorious for being one of the world\u2019s most congested cities and its streets are already clogged with other modes of transport, including private cars, buses, motor scooters, bicycles and electric rental bikes.<\/p>\n McNamara and many others have noted that robotaxis face another challenge from pedestrians crossing the streets. While jaywalking is illegal in the United States and many other countries, it\u2019s not an offense in Britain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s virtually impossible to drive anywhere (in London) without somebody walking in front of you,\u201d McNamara said. In London, with a population of nearly 10 million, he wondered \u201chow these cars are going to deal with those volumes of people?\u201d<\/p>\n The robotaxi companies say there\u2019s room for the new technology. <\/p>\n \u201cI think Londoners are going to love autonomous driving. It\u2019s going to be another choice alongside the Tube, cycling, walking, \u201csaid Wayve CEO Alex Kendall in a recent interview at the company\u2019s workshop.<\/p>\n Wayve is teaming up with Uber for the taxi trials, which are part of Britain\u2019s move to adopt national regulations for self-driving vehicles. The nation is seeking to position itself as a world leader in the technology.<\/p>\n Chinese tech company Baidu is also teaming up with Uber, as well as its ride-hailing rival Lyft, to operate its Apollo Go autonomous vehicle service in the London pilot. <\/p>\n Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, will also take part and plans to launch a London passenger service by the third quarter of 2026, company representatives told reporters last month.<\/p>\n