ADCU once again joined forces with the Brent Green Party and the Pull the Plug on Waymo campaign for our second joint protest against the rollout of driverless cars in London.

The demonstration took place outside Waymo's Park Royal site, where ADCU members stood alongside fellow drivers, trade unionists, campaigners, and members of the local community to voice growing concerns about the impact autonomous vehicles could have on jobs, livelihoods, and the future of the private hire industry.

Waymo continues to trial autonomous vehicles in London without meaningful public consultation. Professional drivers are increasingly concerned about what these trials could mean for thousands of workers who rely on private hire driving to support themselves and their families.

Throughout the protest, ADCU highlighted the challenges drivers already face, including falling earnings, insecure work, unfair treatment by platform operators, and inadequate protection from regulators. The introduction of autonomous vehicles without proper safeguards risks making these existing challenges even worse.

If driverless vehicles are rolled out without appropriate protections, this could result in:

• Fewer private hire driving jobs
• Reduced earning opportunities
• Increased pressure on fares as companies reduce labour costs
• Drivers being forced to compete with autonomous vehicles operating 24 hours a day
• Independent drivers being pushed out of the market
• No clear protections, retraining, or compensation for affected drivers

TECHNOLOGY SHOULD SUPPORT WORKERS, NOT REPLACE THEM.

ADCU's position remains clear. Innovation must not come at the expense of working people. If autonomous vehicles are introduced, there must be meaningful consultation with drivers and their representatives, strong legal protections, democratic oversight, public accountability, and fair transition arrangements for those whose livelihoods are affected.

We would like to thank everyone who attended and supported today's protest. Every driver who stood with us helped send a clear message that the future of our industry cannot be decided without the people whose livelihoods are at stake.

As the authentic voice for app drivers and couriers across the UK, ADCU will continue campaigning to ensure that technological change supports workers rather than replacing them. Further campaign activities and updates will be shared with members in due course.

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