UNIONS have raised safety concerns after Londoners began hiring driverless taxis for the first time today.

Rides in Wayve’s 15 licensed autonomous vehicles were added to the Uber app. 

The cars will still come with a licensed human driver sitting in the front seat, ready to take over the controls.

ADCU general secretary Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu advised against anyone setting foot in a driverless taxi until the Department for Transport and Transport for London clarifies the status of the so-called human safety drivers and where liability sits in the event of a collision, passenger illness or a safety-critical decision has to be made.

GMB senior organiser David McMullen added: “We need to be really careful with the rollout of driverless cars unless we are prepared to see unprecedented levels of social and economic disruption.”

A TfL spokesperson said safety is its “top priority.”