Waymo plans pilot launch of driverless taxi services in London ahead of UK regulatory changes
Waymo, the US-based autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, has announced plans to begin operating a driverless taxi, or robotaxi, service in London as early as September. The company aims to start with a pilot programme in April, during which its vehicles will continue mapping city streets while being supervised by safety drivers. Once regulations allow paying passengers, the cars will operate without a human driver behind the wheel.
Although Waymo hopes to launch later this year, the UK government has stated that formal regulatory changes enabling widespread use of driverless taxis in London are expected in the second half of 2026, with no exact date confirmed. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said the government is supporting Waymo and other firms through passenger pilot schemes and pro-innovation policies designed to bring self-driving vehicles to British roads. She also highlighted the potential safety benefits of automated vehicles, noting that they do not suffer from fatigue, distraction, or impaired driving.
At an event at London’s Transport Museum, Waymo showcased its UK fleet of Jaguar vehicles, which use a combination of lidar, cameras, radar and microphones to monitor their surroundings. According to the company, these sensors provide 360-degree awareness up to the distance of three football fields, even in poor weather conditions. Data from the sensors is processed in real time by an onboard computer that controls the vehicle’s decisions and movements.
The government estimates the autonomous vehicle sector could add £42bn to the UK economy by 2035 and create nearly 40,000 jobs. Passengers will eventually be able to book Waymo robotaxis via an app, though services such as airport drop-offs will not be available initially. Pricing is expected to be competitive but positioned as a premium option, with higher fares during peak demand.
Waymo faces competition from Uber and Lyft, both of which plan to introduce robotaxi services in partnership with Chinese firm Baidu once UK rules permit. While Waymo reports more than 173 million autonomous miles driven, mainly in the US, concerns remain following isolated incidents of malfunctions abroad, underscoring the importance of strict safety and cybersecurity standards before full deployment in the UK.