[REVISION HISTORY]

London autonomous robotaxi rollout

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-04 01:17 UTC → 2026-09-05 01:38 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July, London Assembly member Caroline Russell urged the Department for Transport to hand full oversight of driverless‑taxi trials to Transport for London, arguing that passenger‑service licensing should remain a devolved power. The call came as the DfT’s fast‑track programme prepared for small‑scale autonomous taxi and bus pilots in 2026, with firms such as Uber, Wayve and Waymo seeking approval; Waymo was already testing a fleet of about 100 robotaxis on London streets. By early August, Uber and UK‑based Wayve announced they were ready to launch a robotaxi service. Transport for London (TfL) granted Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licences to Wayve’s electric Ford Mustang Mach‑E fleet, which utilizes Wayve’s AI Driver technology. To meet safety regulations, the service follows a ‘triple-lock’ requirement, ensuring the operator, driver, and vehicle are all licensed by the same authority. Consequently, each trip includes a trained, TfL‑licensed private hire driver onboard to oversee the journey. ~~Uber reported significant interest, with over 100,000 Londoners signing up for early access. However, the commercial rollout has since faced delays due to regulatory and technical hurdles.~~ Despite ~~the~~ high ~~level of~~ public interest, progress for major players including Waymo, Wayve, and Baidu ~~has~~ had previously stalled ~~because~~ due to pending TfL ~~has not yet published the necessary~~ guidelines ~~required for operators to seek approval. Additionally, the Driver~~ and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) must approve a new automated passenger services permit, a process that has yet to result in any approved vehicles. TfL’s director of strategy, Christina Calderato, indicated that the authority is not DVSA permit processes. However, in ~~a rush to release these guidelines as substantial work continues behind the scenes. In~~ early September 2026, Uber and Wayve officially launched their robotaxi service in London. The initial fleet consists of 15 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles equipped with Wayve’s ‘AV2.0’ technology, which learns from real-world experiences rather than relying heavily on high-definition maps. The service is available across most of London, excluding airport zones, for users booking UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort rides at no additional cost. Interest remains high, with over 140,000 users expressing interest through the app. The partnership intends to expand to 12 global markets, including planned deployments in Tokyo.

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