London Assembly calls for TfL control over autonomous taxi regulation

Transport for London (TfL) should be given the power to regulate autonomous passenger vehicle services in the capital, including the ability to cap fleet sizes and issue permits, according to a new report from the London Assembly Transport Committee.

The committee’s report, Who’s driving the future of autonomous transport in London?, argues that London should have greater control over the deployment of autonomous passenger services, often referred to as robocabs, when the full regulatory framework under the Automated Vehicles Act comes into force in 2027.

Assembly members said the current Automated Passenger Service (APS) permitting regime should be treated as a transitional arrangement during the initial pilot phase. They recommended that powers to issue, withdraw and set conditions on APS permits should be devolved from the Department for Transport to TfL.

The report is likely to be of particular interest to the licensed vehicle sector, as autonomous passenger services could eventually operate alongside or compete with existing taxi and private hire services in London. However, the committee said it had not heard sufficient evidence to conclude that London should currently welcome autonomous passenger services.

Among its recommendations, the committee called for TfL to establish a framework governing interactions between autonomous vehicles and emergency services, create a formal definition of safety incidents, and require operators to provide details of incidents and vehicle decision-making processes within 24 hours.

The report also recommends monitoring and publishing data on “empty miles” travelled by autonomous vehicles without passengers, with any negative impact on congestion potentially becoming grounds for withdrawing permission to operate.