But the prospect of driverless cars replacing human-driven taxis has been the cause of some alarm. “If you get rid of the driver, then they’re unemployed,” said Dennis Conyon, the south-east director for the UK National Taxi Association. “It would have a major impact on the labor force.” London has about 22,000 licensed cabs and Conyon estimates that the total number of people who drive taxis for hire in the UK is about 100,000.
Why is Conyon worried about driverless cars?
Drivers may lose their jobs He is alarmed by their safety record compared to taxis driven by humans Driverless cars will overcrowd the UK roads, which already have 100,000 taxis Driverless cars might be too expensive