15 Jun 2026
Almost two-thirds of people (65%) have doubts about using the driverless taxis currently being trialled in London, according to new research.
June’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 46% are concerned about crashing into other vehicles or pedestrians, 32% want someone present if something goes wrong with the journey and 31% are concerned about the cab becoming immobile in traffic.
Also, 17% think driverless cabs will be more expensive, 15% want to get local advice from a driver, 11% like talking to the cabbie and 6% want help with their bags or other items.
However, 19% say that they trust the technology, 12% expect pricing to be competitive with normal cabs, 9% would rather not deal with a driver and 7% like being alone in the cab.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Trials involving a number of companies including Waymo and Uber are in various stages of progress in London at the moment, with planned launches of their services later this year.
“Our research show there are all kinds of doubts in the minds of potential users, mostly around safety, the reliability of the technology and the lack of a driver or other person being present if they need help.
“Some of these objections will probably evaporate if the service is launched and people see driverless taxis being used successfully but until then, they have many different concerns.”
Also, the Startline Used Car Tracker showed that despite widely held concerns, 55% of people are likely to try a driverless taxi at least once to see what the service is like.
Paul said: “People might be apprehensive of autonomous cabs in all kinds of ways but a majority are sufficiently curious to at least try the service.”
The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 317 consumers and 70 dealers were questioned.