TfL and Wayve have answered ADCU’s questions about the safety drivers in London’s first passenger-carrying robotaxis. They are licensed PHV drivers, recruited through Otto Car, and they carry full responsibility for a car the AI is driving. ADCU says that is precisely the problem.
Investigation · Driver Welfare A PHV insurance broker quoted 16.98%. The real APR was 54.22%. The difference was not profit
Roughly 300,000 self-employed drivers in England pay income tax, NI, and licensing fees on every fare. As autonomous vehicles take over that work, the same tax base shifts toward corporately-owned fleets with very different tax exposure — and no UK government department has modelled what that transition will cost.
Uber invited London drivers to a Listening Session on 8 June, promising every insight would be valued. Drivers gave up a full day’s income — reimbursed £10 — and got real answers on app features, but nothing on commission, fares, or where the money has gone.
PHV drivers at Gatwick’s South Terminal are using welfare facilities with broken toilet seats, overflowing bins, and no adequate provision for female drivers. The Workplace Regulations 1992 set a clear legal standard. Gatwick is not meeting it.
On 28 May 2026, Uber emailed thousands of London drivers with new vehicle eligibility rules. From 1 August, only five brands qualify for Exec and Lux. The Kia e-Niro, BYD Atto 3 and Mercedes EQB are being removed from Comfort. No consultation. No compensation. And no regulator with the power to intervene.
A single rule change could reshape who drives in London, who sets the standards, and what platform workers earn. Here is what the ABBA proposal actually says — and what it means for every stakeholder in the for-hire vehicle market.