Mon, 22 Dec 2025

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 Uber and Lyft announce plans to trial Chinese robotaxis in UK in 2026

Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxis have already accrued millions of driverless rides in cities worldwide.
Uber and Lyft have partnered with Baidu to bring Chinese robotaxis to the UK roads by 2026, with plans to test them on London's streets after obtaining approval from regulators. The autonomous vehicles would be part of the driverless taxi service Apollo Go, which already operates in dozens of cities worldwide. The companies aim to accelerate their plans as the government seeks to introduce a framework for testing self-driving vehicles next year. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said this is "another vote of confidence" in the UK's plans for self-driving vehicles. However, many remain skeptical about the safety of these vehicles. A YouGov poll found that 60% of respondents would not feel comfortable riding in a driverless taxi under any circumstances. Professor Jack Stilgoe from University College London expressed concerns about scaling up driverless cars and their potential impact on traffic congestion. Despite this, Uber and Lyft are pushing forward with their plans to deploy dozens of Baidu Apollo Go cars in the UK next year, with the goal of eventually scaling up to hundreds. The companies need to convince regulators that their technology is safe and reliable before they can start testing.
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