London could soon see driverless taxis on its streets, as Waymo prepares to launch a paid robotaxi service as early as September this year.
The US-based self-driving firm said it expects to begin operations in the capital once regulations allow. The UK government has confirmed it plans to change the rules in the second half of 2026 to permit driverless taxis but has not set an exact date. Waymo will start with a pilot service in April.
Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “We’re supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads.” She added that autonomous vehicles could improve road safety, saying, “We know that unlike human drivers, automated vehicles don’t get tired, don’t get distracted and don’t drive under the influence.” She also stressed that cars must meet strict safety rules, including protection from hacking and cyber threats.
Waymo, owned by Google-parent Alphabet, showcased its vehicles at London’s Transport Museum. Its cars are already driving on London roads with safety drivers to map streets. When the service opens to paying passengers, there will be no human driver.
Passengers will book rides through an app once approval is granted. Airport drop-offs will not be included at the start. Pricing will be “competitive” but “premium” and will increase during busy periods, according to a Waymo spokesperson.
The vehicles rely on 4 sensor systems: lidar, vision, radar, and microphone. Waymo says this setup gives the car 360-degree awareness and can detect objects up to the length of 3 football fields ahead, even in bad weather. A computer in the boot processes the data and controls the car in real time.
The government estimates the autonomous vehicle sector could add £42 billion to the UK economy by 2035 and create nearly 40,000 jobs.
Rivals Uber and Lyft are also preparing to launch robotaxi services in the UK when regulations change. Waymo uses Jaguar vehicles, while Uber and Lyft are working with Chinese firm Baidu.
Waymo says its cars have driven 173 million miles fully autonomously, mostly in the US. It currently operates 1,000 robotaxis in San Francisco and 700 in Los Angeles. Some reports have raised concerns about occasional malfunctions that left passengers stuck inside vehicles.
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