Residents of a quiet East London neighbourhood say self-driving cars operated by Waymo have become an unexpected late-night disturbance after repeatedly getting trapped on a narrow dead-end street and sounding loud reversing alarms in the early hours of the morning.
According to a report by The Times, the issue is unfolding on Elder Street in Shoreditch, a cobbled cul-de-sac blocked at one end by a metal barrier designed to stop through-traffic. While local drivers avoid entering the street, the autonomous vehicles have reportedly continued driving into it during testing runs.
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Cars forced to reverse out of narrow street
The Waymo vehicles, which are owned by Google parent company Alphabet Inc., are currently being tested in London using human safety drivers as required under UK regulations.
Residents said the vehicles often realise too late that the road is blocked and are then forced to reverse all the way out because the street is too narrow for an easy turn. During the process, the cars reportedly emit a loud siren-like warning sound that has been waking residents at night.
The noise has become a bigger problem because homes in the historic conservation area are not permitted to install modern double-glazed windows, allowing the sound to travel directly into houses.
Resident Chris Lloyd reportedly shared videos showing the vehicles slowly backing out of the street while alarms continued to sound around 4 am.
Resident confronts driver
The frustration peaked when local resident Jenny Black confronted one of the safety drivers after another incident.
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When asked why the driver ignored signs warning the road was a dead end, he reportedly explained that he needed to allow the autonomous system to operate so he could intervene when necessary. After Black pointed out that the vehicle had already failed the test, the driver replied it was his "first day" on the job.
(Representative image) Waymo began testing its white Jaguar SUVs in London earlier this year. X/@Waymo Waymo responds to complaints
Waymo began testing its white Jaguar SUVs in London earlier this year as it prepares for possible commercial operations in the UK.
Responding to complaints, NDTV quoted the company as saying, "As we prepare for fully autonomous operations in London, we want to validate our technology on roads across the city. However, we've now limited vehicles' ability to drive on this street in response to feedback."
