Waymo tells cyclists expecting driverless taxis to respect bike lanes is "too high a bar" due to customer drop-off demands

Summary

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company operating driverless taxis in London, has told cycling campaigners that expecting their robo-taxis to respect bike lanes is "too high a bar" because customers want to be dropped off in them. This contradicts the Highway Code, which states motorists must not drive or park in solid white line cycle lanes during operation hours, and must not block broken white line bike lanes unless unavoidable. The article highlights tensions between autonomous vehicle operations and cycling infrastructure, with Waymo seemingly prioritizing customer convenience over traffic regulations designed to protect cyclists.