Robotaxis have been the next big thing in tech for so long now we'd almost forgotten we hadn't really got them yet. But in the time it's taken to get the whole AI industry off the ground, we’re now finally getting robot-controlled driverless taxis in London.
Thanks to a partnership between Uber and Wayve, London will see its first autonomous taxis hit the road in Spring 2026. The self-driving Ubers will be arriving sooner than initially planned, getting trialed across the capital within the year, too.
Companies will be allowed to run pilots of small-scale taxi or bus-like services for public use, so you could soon be avoiding the awkward rigmarole of “been a busy night for you?” every time your Uber driver pulls up. No more need to desperately wrack your brains for conversation topics outside of the ULEZ rules.
Previously, self-driving cars have only been allowed to run with a human safety driver onboard. Essentially, so far they’ve been one step removed from having a driving instructor with dual controls in the passenger seat.
App-based bookings
Passengers based in London will actually be able to book these cars via the Uber app. And, it shouldn’t be long before the rollout has a wider radius which is set to be late 2027, after the Automated Vehicles Act fully takes effect.
Although it’s new to the UK, driverless taxis have already become established across the US and China for regular paying travellers. The first of the ghost-style taxis launched in March this year in Texas via the US firm Waymo. Tesla is also set to launch a rival service later this month. It’s a race for the parking space…
Contrary to how it initially sounds, The Department for Transport has said the technology would make UK roads safer and claimed it could create just under 40,000 jobs, and create an industry worth £42bn by 2035.
Testing of self-driving cars has been happening for over a decade, although this will be the first time they are let loose without the safety driver ready to take over. In fact, the trial in 2026 will make London the first country in Europe to have autonomous cars driving paid passengers.
Could the fleet of faceless vehicles provide new public transport options for tube-averse Londoners? Yes. Will we still be awkwardly nodding and smiling in the back? Also yes.
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