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Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I took a driverless taxi in LA as tech giants prepare to bring them to UK'
An army of driverless 'robotaxis' is heading for UK shores after taking to the roads in the US - the Mirror's Jeremy Armstrong took one for a spin in Los Angeles An army of 'robotaxis' is heading for Britain next year after taking to the roads in the US. Baidu has partnered its Apollo Go taxi business with Lyft, one of Uber's main rivals. It is said to be planning a self-driving taxi service in the UK and Germany in 2026, with competition from a number of international rivals. The Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle initiative is already testing a self-driving, emissions-free shuttle. It ferries passengers between three sites on public roads, a first for the North east. But driverless taxis have been a common sight in America since 2020, with millions of journeys completed across several different cities. The Mirror did a 'test ride' of the driverless Waymo taxis in LA to see what lies in store for UK road users and passengers. A strange sight greeted me shortly after arrival on US soil. On the way from Los Angeles airport, during the short 20-minute drive to Venice Beach, a Jaguar I-Pace fully electric SUV pulled up next to my vehicle at a traffic light. I spotted the 'Noddy style' hat on the roof straight away, and a woman passenger in the back. There was no driver, and that became a familiar scene on roads across the sprawling metropolis. It is a strange sight for any new arrival from the UK. There remains opposition to the technology, with the US refusing entry to Chinese-based operators in the country from 2027. But California-based Waymo has carried passengers on millions of journeys across America. And this is what lies in store for a road near you soon. My early morning departure from Newcastle meant a conventional taxi journey from a city centre suburb to the airport. My cabbie told me about the rise of Uber; he estimated there were thousands on the roads around the city. Any notion of a chat with the driver disappears when you climb into a Waymo. The first issue to tackle is getting aboard. Handles are retractable and flush with the door until you press the 'unlock the door' in the App (you can also enable automatic door unlocking). As you climb inside, and take your seat, the computer generated female voice asks if you are ready to start your journey. You are reminded to remain in the car unless there is an 'urgent need to exit'. There is then the surreal vision of the steering wheel moving around as if guided by an invisible driver. It reminded me of the 1971 Hollywood classic "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", when inanimate objects are brought to life by magic. My trip (you can take up to three passengers) was taking me through the quiet residential streets of Venice Beach, and a four-lane, mile-long street full of shops, bars, restaurants, and my destination, a coffee shop. You spin through the traffic at a very sedate pace and cross lanes to get in line, waiting at traffic lights to make a turn. There is an arrival time given, very similar to the Uber experience, and a map of the route to the destination. It takes a matter of minutes to download the app, order a cab and get underway. You can follow the arrival of your £130,000 Waymo Jag via your mobile phone, and track the planned route as you travel. It is a very relaxed ride, at a slow and steady pace, once you get used to the sight of the self turning steering wheel. We turn right at a busy junction before making our way to another set of lights for a left turn. This time the tight turn involves the navigation of a busy set of lights and a brief wait to make way, all with the use of satellite technology, sensors, and onboard cameras. We didn't get over 20-25 mph; the ride took a matter of minutes, covered under 2kms and cost $10 (£7.43). Most unusually for LA, they didn't ask for a tip. There is a strict no drink and drugs policy onboard, though how they check on the sobriety of passengers is unclear. There is a reminder to make sure that you have all your belongings as you alight, and then the driverless cab heads off for its next passenger. The key question is whether you would feel safe on an LA Freeway, UK motorway or navigating a bustling London street? That may be the key test for driverless passengers in the UK next year.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Rhyl Journal
E-bike licensing means ‘every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie', comedian says
Irish stand-up Dara O Briain complained that e-bikes are 'stacking up' at river crossings between the boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond in the west of the capital. Lime, one of the rental companies involved, urged councils to collaborate so riders can 'travel seamlessly across boroughs' rather than face a 'patchwork of boundaries'. Hounslow has given permission for Forest and Voi's e-bikes to be used in its area, while Richmond has licensed rival company Lime. The latter said it has agreed to a request by Hounslow for its bikes' electric motors to cut out if riders enter the borough. This causes the bikes to become heavy to ride, resulting in many users ending their trips. The PA news agency saw about 30 bikes near the southern entrance to Chiswick Bridge on Monday night. Hounslow council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone! — Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) August 17, 2025 Some were parked appropriately to the side of pavements, but others had been thrown in bushes or tipped over. O Briain, 53, likened the issue to the Checkpoint Charlie border crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: 'Hounslow Council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. 'So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone!' Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport charity CoMoUK, said: 'This rather bizarre set of circumstances is an unfortunate outcome of the current situation in London, where regulation of bike sharing schemes is decided at borough level.' He said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill going through Parliament could make Transport for London the capital's licensing authority for rental e-bikes, enabling a 'more coherent pan-London approach' to be designed. A spokesperson for Lime said the existing scenario is 'frustrating for riders'. She said: 'We've already been contacted by many of them who are disappointed at the new rules. 'They should not have to experience London as a patchwork of boundaries. 'We want to see councils work together so that residents can travel seamlessly across boroughs, without having to stop at borders.' Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said the issue is 'exactly why we have been calling for a pan-London approach to regulation'. He went on: 'We need a single regulatory framework, one enforcement model and one operational rulebook across the capital, whilst ensuring services support the local needs of each borough.' A Voi spokesperson said its users are 'free to cycle across borough boundaries, but parking must be in designated bays within participating areas'. He added: 'We're working with local leaders and TfL towards a London-wide scheme to make cross-borough journeys simpler.' Rental e-bike companies say they encourage people to switch from cars to a more sustainable form of travel, but there have been long-standing concerns about users blocking pavements with the bikes after they finish their rides. A spokesperson for Hounslow Council said: 'The issue of neighbouring boroughs having different e-bike operators is not unique to Hounslow. This is an issue at many boundaries wherever there is a change in operator. E-bike service areas are dynamic, with boroughs deciding to review operators at different points. 'We recognise that a borough-by-borough approach can be confusing for users and we continue to work closely with Transport for London and neighbouring boroughs to make the case to the Department for Transport for a pan-London approach. In the meantime, we are bringing in new measures to ensure e-bikes are better managed when left at the end of a journey.' Councillor Alexander Ehmann, chairman of Richmond Council's Transport and Air Quality Committee, said: 'Hounslow's recent decision seems to have underestimated the impact on riders to and from neighbouring boroughs, including Richmond. 'Local authorities should be working to make active travel options easier, not more complicated.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
E-bike licensing means ‘every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie', comedian says
Lime, one of the rental companies involved, urged councils to collaborate so riders can 'travel seamlessly across boroughs' rather than face a 'patchwork of boundaries'. The electric motor of Lime e-bikes cuts out if they approach Hounslow (Lucy North/PA) Hounslow has given permission for Forest and Voi's e-bikes to be used in its area, while Richmond has licensed rival company Lime. The latter said it has agreed to a request by Hounslow for its bikes' electric motors to cut out if riders enter the borough. This causes the bikes to become heavy to ride, resulting in many users ending their trips. The PA news agency saw about 30 bikes near the southern entrance to Chiswick Bridge on Monday night. Hounslow council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone! — Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) August 17, 2025 Some were parked appropriately to the side of pavements, but others had been thrown in bushes or tipped over. O Briain, 53, likened the issue to the Checkpoint Charlie border crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: 'Hounslow Council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. 'So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone!' Dara O Briain (Matt Crossick/PA) Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport charity CoMoUK, said: 'This rather bizarre set of circumstances is an unfortunate outcome of the current situation in London, where regulation of bike sharing schemes is decided at borough level.' He said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill going through Parliament could make Transport for London the capital's licensing authority for rental e-bikes, enabling a 'more coherent pan-London approach' to be designed. A spokesperson for Lime said the existing scenario is 'frustrating for riders'. She said: 'We've already been contacted by many of them who are disappointed at the new rules. 'They should not have to experience London as a patchwork of boundaries. 'We want to see councils work together so that residents can travel seamlessly across boroughs, without having to stop at borders.' Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said the issue is 'exactly why we have been calling for a pan-London approach to regulation'. He went on: 'We need a single regulatory framework, one enforcement model and one operational rulebook across the capital, whilst ensuring services support the local needs of each borough.' A Voi spokesperson said its users are 'free to cycle across borough boundaries, but parking must be in designated bays within participating areas'. He added: 'We're working with local leaders and TfL towards a London-wide scheme to make cross-borough journeys simpler.' Rental e-bike companies say they encourage people to switch from cars to a more sustainable form of travel, but there have been long-standing concerns about users blocking pavements with the bikes after they finish their rides. A spokesperson for Hounslow Council said: 'The issue of neighbouring boroughs having different e-bike operators is not unique to Hounslow. This is an issue at many boundaries wherever there is a change in operator. E-bike service areas are dynamic, with boroughs deciding to review operators at different points. 'We recognise that a borough-by-borough approach can be confusing for users and we continue to work closely with Transport for London and neighbouring boroughs to make the case to the Department for Transport for a pan-London approach. In the meantime, we are bringing in new measures to ensure e-bikes are better managed when left at the end of a journey.' Councillor Alexander Ehmann, chairman of Richmond Council's Transport and Air Quality Committee, said: 'Hounslow's recent decision seems to have underestimated the impact on riders to and from neighbouring boroughs, including Richmond. 'Local authorities should be working to make active travel options easier, not more complicated.'
