‘God only knows what will happen!’ Cabbie warns of huge safety risks from driverless taxis in London

The company says its cars will appear in London “in the coming weeks” for initial testing, and could be seen on the streets of the capital in the new year, 6, once the Department for Transport and Transport for London give the green light.

However, Mr Davis warned that although they may seem like a good idea, driverless cabs could be “unsafe”.

“Imagine I’m taking my wife out for dinner. I’ve got my Rolex, she’s got her anniversary earrings, and a driverless cab stops because two people step in front of it.

“The car won’t move. That’s the danger. God only knows what could happen.”

Mr Davis also raised concerns about disabled passengers and children with special needs.

“Who’s going to help them into the taxi? They’re not important to a fully automated service,” he said.

He acknowledged Waymo claims the vehicles are safer, equipped with sensors and cutting human error.

“But in my experience,” Mr Davis said, “they stop for everything, get confused easily, are really slow, and more expensive”.

“It’s a twisty, turny Roman city. Our roads are not straight like in the US,” he explained.

“Cyclists without helmets, scooters, pedestrians. There are hazards everywhere. Driverless taxis will struggle.”

“This is all PR spin. They’re probably chasing more VC money,” Davis added.

“Every time we rush automation, we risk people’s jobs and their safety. Think carefully before you jump in.”

A spokesperson for Waymo told Sky News: “We provide hundreds of thousands of rides every week in the US and have given over 10 million fully autonomous rides to the public.

“That growth reflects real appreciation, love and trust in the service.

"We’re excited to introduce the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners soon.”

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