When Urban Wave met Uber

Urban Wave had the pleasure of speaking to Kieran Harte, Head of Cities, from Uber to have explore Uber's interest in the driverless and autonomous vehicle sector. This article will express some of the responses to the questions that we asked Kieran.

Can you see a future for driverless cars?

Absolutely, Uber believes that driverless cars will become cheaper, bring down the death the toll on the roads and end of mainstream car ownership. This will change city centres. Uber believes that is complementary to mass transport and will extend catchment areas of current mass transit routes. They will also encourage more pedestrianisation and help make city centres more productive with the freeing up of space which can be used for businesses. People are increasingly looking for service-based modes of transport which Is shown by the drop in the number of people getting driving licenses.

What is your company vision with regard to driverless cars?

Uber considers itself a leader in the driverless vehicle sector and they believe that cars need not be just a mode of travel but can also include everyday items including a desk or a bed to allow for the continuation of normal everyday tasks including working on the road.

Have you got an app developing? / How do you plan to integrate driverless cars into your system?

The autonomous feature has already been incorporated into the existing Uber app in Pittsburgh, for example, where users are able to select an option for autonomous drive similar to the way the can choose between ‘X’, ‘exec’ and ‘assist’. Once fully operational the system will be “incredibly cheaper” then the existing system.

Which age groups do you think are most likely to use driverless cars?

More than likely younger people but Uber doesn’t record information on the age and usage of its customers

What effect do you think there will be on your drivers due to driverless cars?

Without a doubt the introduction of driverless cars will help create jobs in industries due to efficiency. It’ll also mean a lot of the space which currently is used for on street parking and car parks including multi-storeys will no longer be needed which will free up space for development which will help the local economy. Workers will also be needed to help maintain the fleet of cars including maintenance and cleaning of the vehicles and support staff will also be needed. Uber may also require people to drive cars which are adapted for those who are less mobile. They recognise the impact it may have on some of its partner drivers, but the existing system is unlikely to be phased out but ran alongside the introduction of driverless cars to offer customers a choice.

Do you think the regulations support your plans for driverless cars?

The UK regulations are supportive for the development and operation of autonomous and driverless cars but most of Uber’s is carried out in the USA. The government has invested and there are other UK based companies who are carrying out research. Other areas/companies are also supportive including Singapore where the first business to test a driverless vehicle was Singapore-based and had just beaten Uber to it.

Could you give us a figure for Uber’s total investment in this technology to date?

No figure could be disclosed but it is an ‘extremely large amount’

Reece McCoy