Taxi union leader criticizes Uber driverless cars operating in London

Steve McNamara, head of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, has called Uber's new self-driving taxis in London a gimmick that will not last. The vehicles use technology from a company called Wayve and have recently started carrying passengers on London streets. McNamara says the cars are not truly driverless because a safety operator sits inside, though passengers are not allowed to speak to this person. He also says the vehicles stop for too long at busy junctions, which makes them unsuitable for London traffic. The taxi union believes the real goal is to develop software to sell abroad, not to run a successful taxi service. McNamara described the whole project as hype and clever marketing.