Driverless taxis coming to London, says Waymo

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October 16, 2025
3 min read

Driverless taxis coming to London, says Waymo

Waymo has said its driverless taxis are coming to London and we could see them within weeks with “trained human specialists” or safety drivers. The company, launched originally as a spin-off from Google’s self-driving car programme, said it plans to scale up operations and work closely with both TfL and the Department for Transport to gain permission for its autonomous vehicles in 2026.

Uber and British tech firm Wayve have also announced their intentions to trial driverless taxis in London next year. The British government recently said it would work towards bringing rules that allow for public trials to take place before bringing in legislation allowing for fully self-driving vehicles.

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“I’m delighted that Waymo intends to bring their services to London next year, under our proposed piloting scheme,” The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander said. “Boosting the AV [autonomous vehicle] sector will increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK. Cutting-edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal.”

A larger rollout of driverless taxis is expected in the UK after the Automated Vehicles Act fully comes in late in 2027.

However, not everonye is on board. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, representing black-cab drivers, labelled it “a fairground ride.”

“It’s a tourist attraction in San Francisco. Quite frequently one of them will lock up in the middle of a junction because it gets confused and the police have to come and park, wait for the Waymo man to get his laptop out and get it going again.”

London, he said, would present a larger challenge to Waymo, thanks to its irregular road system, adding that “there’s no demand for it.”

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