Steering the Future of Self-Driving Taxis: 3 Considerations

Published 10 July 2023

Author
Nienke Creemers
2 min read

Of 18- to 49-year-old Americans, 47% would ride in a driverless vehicle (Pew, 2021). Meanwhile, the global autonomous car market is projected to reach $62bn in 2026, up from $27bn in 2021 (Statista, 2021). As self-driving taxi initiatives rush to the market, we explore the opportunities and obstacles of next-gen services.

  • Road Safety: Prioritising road safety, US-based Waymo (owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet) claims self-driving taxis reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by eliminating human error. Waymo vehicles – which currently operate in Phoenix and San Francisco and will enter Los Angeles later this year – use a combination of lidar (light detection and ranging), cameras and radar to navigate their surroundings. Machine learning anticipates other cars’ and pedestrians’ next moves.

    In July 2022, the EU introduced safety regulations for fully driverless vehicles, addressing lane keeping, braking systems and event data recorders. These measures are expected to save more than 25,000 lives and avoid 140,000 injuries.

 

  • Accessible Transport: Autonomous taxis offer a more accessible transport option for those unable to drive due to visual or physical limitations. American autonomous taxi provider Cruise’s Cruise for Good programme partners with non-profits to serve its rider base in San Francisco, Austin and Phoenix. Its self-driving cars deliver meals to vulnerable people, while a partnership with the National Federation of the Blind ensures that riders who are blind or have low vision can use Cruise’s vehicles independently. See Democratising Travel & Leisure for more.