Driverless taxis could hit UK roads in September, Waymo says

Self-driving taxis could start operating in the UK in September, according to Waymo, the American self-driving company owned by Alphabet.

Waymo said it plans to launch a robot driver service in London in April, with the intention of carrying paying passengers later when regulations permit. The UK government has said it aims to introduce new rules in the second half of 2026 to allow private taxi services, although it has yet to confirm a specific start date.

Local transport minister Lilian Greenwood said the government was actively supporting the cases.

“We are supporting Waymo and other drivers through our pilots, and the laws that encourage innovation to make self-driving cars a reality on Britain’s roads,” he said.

Waymo showed off a number of its autonomous vehicles at London’s Transport Museum this week. The cars are currently being driven by security drivers while they map London’s streets, but when the service opens to the public there will be no one behind the wheel.

Greenwood said autonomous vehicles have the potential to improve road safety. “Unlike human drivers, self-driving cars don’t get tired, distracted and don’t drive late,” he said, adding that strict standards will still apply, including protection against hacking and cyber threats.

The government estimates that the private car sector could add £42bn to the UK economy by 2035 and create up to 40,000 jobs.

Waymo’s robotaxis will be complimented by an app, though the initial service won’t include airport drop-offs. The company said fares will be “competitive but premium”, and fares will increase during periods of peak demand.

Waymo’s cars use a combination of lidar, cameras, radar and microphones to create a 360-degree view of their surroundings, which the company says can detect hazards up to three football fields away, even in bad weather. A high-powered computer processes the data in real time to control the vehicle’s movements.

Waymo’s UK plans come amid growing competition. Uber and Lyft have also signaled they are ready to launch robotaxi services once UK rules change, both in partnership with Chinese technology company Baidu.

Waymo says its cars have traveled more than 173 million miles autonomously, mostly in the US, where it already operates about 1,000 robots in San Francisco and 700 in Los Angeles. However, there have been isolated reports of technical glitches, including rare instances where passengers are temporarily unable to exit the vehicles.

If approved, the London launch will mark one of the most significant steps yet in bringing large autonomous vehicles to UK roads.