The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) has formally backed a planned protest against Waymo’s autonomous vehicle rollout in Brent, escalating opposition to driverless vehicle trials in northwest London.

According to TaxiPoint, the union confirmed it will support a joint action organised alongside Brent Greens in Harlesden on Friday 22 May, with members urged to attend the demonstration at the Jubilee Clock on Harlesden High Street from 5pm.

The protest follows mounting criticism of autonomous vehicle testing in the borough after reports emerged earlier this month of a Waymo vehicle entering a live police cordon in Harlesden. Brent Greens have since demanded an immediate suspension of the trial and called for a full safety audit into the incident.

Concerns raised by campaigners extend beyond private hire employment issues. Protest organisers have pointed to fears around additional traffic volumes, empty repositioning journeys by autonomous vehicles and the suitability of driverless systems operating in highly congested areas such as Harlesden High Street.

The ADCU has previously campaigned on issues linked to automation, driver rights and employment protections in the app-based gig economy. Its decision to mobilise members for the Harlesden protest suggests opposition to autonomous vehicle trials may become a wider organising issue within parts of the private hire sector.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Georgia, dozens of Waymo robotaxis became trapped in a cul de sac after what the company described as a software “glitch”. Waymo added it took community feedback seriously and have already addressed the anomaly in the “routing behavior.”

A video of the incident can be seen by clicking HERE.

(Picture: Olga Gonzalez)