That is by choice. I live in the UK. Personally, I don't see the point in driving manual, but most drivers in the UK enjoy using stick shift. In the context of a self-driving car, that doesn't matter.
The self-driving car technology is also very viable to use right now. I have seen Google self-driving cars on the freeways driving next to me. It would not surprise me if they were being sold within the next 5 years, commonplace within 20-30 years.
I personally just love driving a manual car. Its not for any practical reason, I just get a kick out of shifting perfectly, the feel of the engine and the control that I have.
That said, if there's a self driving car, you bet Id rather use that.
