the negotiator
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The self-driving dream fades into the distance
aspects of our behaviour are something HE BIG RIDE-HAILING COMPANIES that no algorithm can currently compute. – and a number of motor Who would believe that a human would manufacturers – have bet the farm on autonomous vehicles. Both have be walking down the middle of a highway much to gain: the former because such at night pushing a bicycle? Would a farmer a development would be the way out of be expected to release llamas on a back a busted business model, and the latter road in Scotland? because that is the next “big thing”. Secondly, there is too much reliance They believe that if everyone is going in on the technology both by the designers that direction then that is the way the of the vehicle and their buyers. Humans, Dennis wind is blowing. whatever our faults, can see a big truck on Bartholomew At the same time, the political imperative a sunny day and would not run into it at to reduce or reverse global warming and speed. Yes, I know that 90% of accidents noxious gases, blamed on the internal are caused by humans, but a key premise GMB combustion engine, has become a key of these vehicles is that they will be much representative objective of many governments and safer than us humans. for Uber drivers international bodies. This has resulted in So, the technology will need a lot more a slow, but increasingly aggressive, set of development. In early 2020, CNBC claimed measures being introduced against the use that “Uber’s self-driving cars are a key to its of fossil fuels as a means of vehicle propulsion. path to profitability...” as its autonomous car division, the The outcome has been an acceleration in the Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), had taken a new development of electric powered vehicles. approach to autonomous driving. Let’s look at both of these issues and their impact But in late 2020, Uber had ditched its effort to develop on the professional driver. I will examine the current its own self-driving car and sold ATG to Amazon. With situation of autonomous vehicle development below and that Uber has said bye-bye to its vaunted ambition to have advances in electric vehicles in the next issue. self-driving cars replacing driver driven cars. For the moment Tesla is continuing the self-driving SELF-DRIVING CARS – THE MYTH HAS EVAPORATED IN THE MORNING SUN crusade, with its Autopilot system. However, the US transport authorities, both national and local, are About 2016, I worked as a professional driver for Uber becoming alarmed at the reported accidents and deaths and began to hear stories about the next big thing in the caused when these vehicles crash while in Autopilot private hire industry, autonomous cars. These, it was mode. So there is a lot of work to do. claimed, would be safer, reduce fares and enable Uber Don’t get me wrong. I still believe that self-driving cars and similar companies to get rid of those pesky drivers will come one day, but not in the short term. and achieve profitability at last. So, for professional drivers the employment situation Those drivers were the cause of so much trouble, caused by self-driving cars is not terminal, although there Uber seemed to be saying, demanding higher pay and are other reasons why it is currently dire, with low pay, better conditions; not being submissive enough to the long hours and huge financial risks. passengers’ whims; always whining; and so on. All of I urge every driver out there to join the GMB so that these bothersome things could be got rid of once these current terms of work can be changed for the better and, magic self-driving vehicles were produced and licensed when autonomous vehicles arrive, strategies for road use. can be developed to help the professional I told my colleagues, family, friends and driver. They can do so at https://www.gmb. anyone who would listen to my fevered org.uk/join-gmb. Other unions are available – ravings that this was going to happen and and they’re all on your side. it would happen soon. After all, companies —Dennis Bartholomew such as Ford, Daimler, Uber et al would not be spending gazillions of dollars if they n Dennis Bartholomew is the GMB weren’t expecting a reward in the short to trade union representative for driver/ medium term. Or so I thought. members working for Uber. He is an It is now clear that the dream of the author and broadcaster with a strong autonomous vehicle has receded into the long term. And there are a number of knowledge of the private hire industry. reasons for this. dennis.bartholomew@yahoo.co.uk Firstly, human beings are too fickle. All +44 7544 026 122
“It is now clear that the dream of the autonomous vehicle has receded into the long term...”
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