Self-driving technology may be tried in Manhattan early 2018

New York

PITY the poor taxi drivers. First came Uber, now comes no one.

Manhattan may become the first self-driving car testing grounds in New York state, according to governor Andrew Cuomo, who announced on Tuesday that General Motors (GM), via its startup subsidiary Cruise Automation, has applied to test the nascent technology in early 2018 in the borough.

GM has already begun mapping a test site in Manhattan, according to the governor's office.

It will submit its full application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which will then issue any permits. The testing itself will be supervised by the State Police.

Nonetheless, the announcement was greeted with scepticism from various corners, including officials in the de Blasio administration, who raised concerns about the programme. "The city wasn't give much notice of this idea and we c…