Uber’s recent experience with its robotaxi service in Arizona has raised questions about the readiness and safety of autonomous vehicles. Example of a robotaxi looping indefinitely in an airport parking garage. Inside, one such passenger was trapped, unable to get off or notify authorities. This incident has led to serious conversations regarding the safety protocols of this technology and the regulatory environment from country to country.
The involved robotaxi has been operating autonomously (without a safety driver present) at the time of the incident. Notably, a prominent safety feature, a big red button designed to shut off the automated system immediately, was not utilized during the episode. This leads to questions about the trustworthiness and situational responsiveness of autonomous systems in high-stakes scenarios.
Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president, addressed the incident, stating, “The reality is that one accident is too many.” He emphasized that despite the challenges, Uber is committed to improving safety in its autonomous vehicle technology.
Uber is currently working with 18 of these automated car technology companies, including Wayve, to improve and expand its robotaxi fleet. Wayve’s autonomous driving system uses cutting-edge radar and seven cameras to drive in city centers, dense neighborhoods, rural areas, and the highway seamlessly. The California partnership is focused on reducing safety issues and maximizing the operational capabilities of robotaxis.
Earlier this month, Macdonald hailed a robotaxi himself in London with BBC’s Zoe Kleinman to demonstrate the technology. This pioneering technology is already deployed in other countries including the United States, China, the UAE, and Singapore. Even in the US, robotaxis don’t stop running—about 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
Even with the current deployment of robotaxis overseas, Britain is lagging behind in bringing these types of services to market. These are modest expectations compared to those of the former administration that had wagered fully autonomous cars would be roaming UK roads by 2026. The new government says that this timeline has already moved to the second half of 2027.
Macdonald was there to comfort future users of the technology, telling new customers who were nervous at first usually get over it within a week. He observed that the experience quickly “turns into the new normal. Gonzalez reiterated his bullishness on the UK market. At the same time, he claimed it was moving at a comparable speed with other regions in development of robotaxi technology.
The UK government is carefully aware of the potential economic benefits that self-driving vehicles can bring. It also projects that these technologies have the potential to develop a £42 billion industry and produce 38,000 jobs by 2035. Tom Leggett, vehicle technology manager at Thatcham Research, emphasized that any introduction of robotaxis in the UK must be “safety-led.”
Though Uber is still in the early stages of developing its autonomous driving technology, Macdonald was optimistic about what would happen down the line. “We’re ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us,” he stated.
The public discourse around robotaxis and their eventual roll-out into our daily lives presents a unique opportunity to discuss the future of transportation. Macdonald’s concern about major changes in society was profound, for example wondering aloud if his daughters would get driver’s licenses at 16. “No – I think the world is changing a lot,” he remarked.