Tue, 10 Jun 2025

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 Uber brings forward trialling driverless taxis in UK

The autonomous cars with no human safety driver at the wheel will be trialled in London next spring.
Uber plans to launch a trial of fully autonomous cars, known as robotaxis, in London next spring in collaboration with UK AI firm Wayve. The move comes after the UK government relaxed its rules on driverless vehicles, allowing for an accelerated framework for small-scale commercial services to be introduced earlier than initially planned. Uber's robotaxis will operate without human safety drivers at the wheel, although it is unclear whether customers will be able to use them directly. According to estimates, the industry could create 38,000 jobs and add £42bn to the UK economy by 2035. However, concerns have been raised about the potential social implications of driverless cars and taxis on employment. Uber has already launched a similar service in Austin, Texas, which allows customers to choose whether to take a robotaxi if one is available. Fully autonomous vehicles have also been tested on public roads in other countries, including China, the UAE, and Singapore, although their safety record is still being investigated.
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