Controversy over driverless taxis in London
At last mobility for all
Certain social groups such as older people or those living in remote areas could benefit greatly from this service, The Times rejoices:
“The driverless taxi offers hope to those marooned in areas where human cab drivers are thin on the ground. And where taxis lead, private cars will eventually follow: elderly people, forced by infirmity to surrender their car keys, may yet see the highways of independence opening up again?”
Technology must serve the people
The mistakes of the past must not be repeated, columnist Adam Tranter warns in The Guardian:
“The streets of the 20th century were reshaped to suit cars, often at enormous social cost. Entire communities were disrupted. Children lost the ability to roam. People stopped walking. Air pollution soared. A sense of community was lost. … If we want driverless technology to succeed it must be made to serve society, not the other way round. That means recognising that unpredictability isn't a bug in the system, but part of what makes cities human. And it means resisting any attempt to reframe basic human behaviour, like crossing the street, as a problem in need of control.”