London’s Black Cabs Face a Driverless Threat

“Where to, guv?” It’s the perennial greeting given to those who step into one of London’s iconic black cabs, embracing a century-old tradition of human skill. Drivers spend years memorizing the city’s streets and landmarks to attain The Knowledge and a coveted license. And they’ll offer more besides: a monologue on everything from Brexit to the royals, or a listening ear while you sit on The Confessional, a flip-up seat behind the driver’s partition on which many a late-night punter has poured out their troubles as they might to a priest.

London cabbies’ have long complained that “the game’s dead” thanks to the threat of past innovations including private-hire vehicles, airport express trains and, the biggest threat of them all, Uber Technologies Inc. Now they’re facing a landmark disruption from Waymo LLC, the driverless Silicon Valley taxi service featuring comfortable, sterile interiors that look the same in every city and portend a slow, cultural flattening.