ROBOTAXIS...ROBOTAXIS


UBER BEGINS SELF-DRIVING ROBOTAXI TESTING IN MANCHESTER


Uber has announced plans to pilot self-driving cars in Manchester, making it the second UK city after London to see the deployment of its AV technology. Partnering with tech firms Verne and Pony.ai, Uber announced the news last month, marking its latest expansion following the launch of Europe’s first autonomous taxi service on the Uber app in Zagreb, in August. Testing is now under way with Gen-7 Robotaxis mapping streets in north-west England with a safety driver behind the wheel and no passengers. The move comes as Uber targets offering robotaxi trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026. In September Uber launched


limited passenger services in London using Wayve vehicles with safety drivers under TfL’s licensing regulations. However, the rollout faces growing opposition from cabbies, politicians, and unions. Further scrutiny came from a recent critical report from London assembly’s transport committee. Local transport authorities in Greater Manchester have


also


emphasised caution amid existing road congestion and efforts to encourage public transport and active travel. While noting that the national government holds regul- atory approval powers, a spokes- person for TfGM confirmed no formal application to operate driverless taxis has been submitted. They stated: “New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region. But they need to


be introduced


responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents,” reiterating that safety remains their top priority and that strong assurances will be required before any vehicles are permitted to operate on local roads.


GMB DEMANDS TECH LEVY TO SAVE DRIVERS FROM DRIVERLESS CAR JOB LOSSES


The GMB Union is demanding that government set up a dedicated transition fund to protect workers facing job losses due to AVs. Financed by a new levy on tech operators, the proposed funding would directly support drivers whose earnings fall or who are made redundant as driverless technology rolls out across the nation. The union estimates that more than 300,000 transport jobs across the UK could be placed at risk by the shift to automated travel. Addressing delegates and Justin Madders, the government minister responsible for AVs, at the Labour Party conference in September, GMB official Mark Betteridge advocated for a “just


PHTM NOVEMBER 2026


transition” plan to help drivers reskill, noting that “the people who do these jobs will know the reality far better of what change will look like.” He stressed that while AVs could complement existing services, the threat of worker displacement remains severe. “Our job is to improve pay, terms & conditions. When it comes to driverless taxis, we would look for some sort of transition plan even a transition fund to get people through. Driverless taxis have the potential to add to what is provided - but there is the obvious threat of people losing their jobs.” The campaign for statutory pro- tections has grown, beginning at the union’s annual conference in


Blackpool in June, where delegates voted in favour of calling for government legislation to man- date the transition fund. The urgency was underscored again in a September letter to union mem- bers, in which representatives criticised transport authorities for inaction ahead of the impending rollout. The letter warned that “with AV deployment potentially immin- ent neither TfL or the DfT have done anything to ensure a ‘just transition’ that protects drivers, their families and communities during the future introduction of AVs.” The union insists AVs must not be introduced in the UK until a tran- sition plan and all safety concerns are fully agreed with drivers.


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