Uber has said it is “ready to go” now with driverless taxis in the UK but the government has put back the date it expects to approve fully self-driving vehicles.
The previous administration said fully autonomous cars were “set to be on roads by 2026,” but the new government says it is now more likely to happen in the second half of 2027, according to BBC.
While limited self-driving technology is already permitted on UK roads, a human driver must be at the wheel and responsible for the vehicle, even if automated technology is being used.
With some companies trialing more advanced tech on British streets, a person took an automated car ride across central London in a car using a system developed by UK AI firm Wayve.
“We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us,” said Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility at Uber, who joined me for the ride.
The ride-hailing firm is working with 18 automated car tech companies including Wayve.
It is one of several companies which already offers robotaxis in the US. They are also on the roads in China, the UAE and Singapore.
But Macdonald disagreed that the UK was behind the rest of the world, arguing that the US and China were ahead largely because that is where the majority of the tech had been developed.
“We are working quickly and will implement self-driving vehicle legislation in the second half of 2027,” the Department for Transport said in a statement.
“We are also exploring options for short-term trials and pilots to create the right conditions for a thriving self-driving sector,” it added.
'Hands-off' experience
In the US, Macdonald said robotaxis typically operate for 20 hours per day, seven days per week.
Even though there is no driver to pay, Uber says the fare is currently the same as a ride with a human behind the wheel.
The option to take one appears on the app if one is available, and customers can opt in or out.
That's partly because, aside from the regulatory environment, another potential barrier to their uptake is the public's reticence about travelling in a self-driving vehicle.
A poll by YouGov in 2024 suggested that 37% of Brits would feel “very unsafe” travelling in a car without a driver.
But Macdonald insisted new customers' initial nervousness was short-lived and the experience soon “becomes the new normal.”
In the UK there are also practical questions around insurance, ownership and liability when a self-driving vehicle is involved in an accident. Macdonald said they were all still being worked out.
Tom Leggett, vehicle technology manager at Thatcham Research - an independent car safety center - said robotaxis would have to be “safety-led” in the UK.
“Secondly, they will have to make sure the data is available to those who need it – insurers and those investigating incidents when they occur.”
The government says self-driving vehicles have the potential “to build an industry worth £42 billion and provide 38,000 jobs by 2035.”
But of course they are a source of concern for people who earn a living driving.
Andy Prendergast, GMB national secretary, said the “significant social implications” driverless cars and taxis could have - such as potential less work or unemployment - for workers and the public must be fully considered.
Uber's Macdonald meanwhile believes automated vehicles will transform the way many people travel in the near future.
“I've got young kids,” he said. “Do I think my daughters will necessarily get their drivers licenses when they turn 16?” [the legal age in his home country, Canada]. “No – I think the world is changing a lot.”
