Can London’s black cabs survive driverless cars?

Londoners can now travel in autonomous cars for the first time, after Uber was granted a licence to operate a test fleet of self-driving vehicles. Each vehicle must have a safety driver behind the wheel, but the UK government says fully self-driving cars will be available in late 2027.

Driverless cars are the latest threat facing London’s iconic black cabs, over a decade after the introduction of ride-sharing apps revolutionised transport in the city.

Tristan Redman meets Tom Scullion, who has been a cabbie for over 30 years, and asks whether one of the world’s hardest memory tests – the Knowledge – can compete with AI.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: James Shield

Mix: Travis Evans

Digital producer: Charlie Firth

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Black cab driver Tom Scullion. Credit: BBC