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As early as next year, Londoners could expect to see driverless robotaxis joining the ubiquitous black cabs on British roads.
Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous car company, announced on Wednesday that it hoped to kick-start its planned entry into Europe with the UK capital.
The decision follows the relaxation of autonomous vehicle regulations by the Labour government under the UK Automated Vehicles Act. This new legislation permits a small number of robotaxis to be launched to customers on a pilot basis without the requirement of a safety driver behind the wheel.
Whilst Waymo has begun discussions with the UK Department for Transport and Transport for London, it will have to wait for regulatory approval before beginning the project.
Waymo is already operating in five cities in the US and has a pilot programme in Tokyo, operational from April 2025.
The company hopes that its arrival in London will help the UK catch up with the US and China, where autonomous vehicles are already a common sight on busy city roads.
Waymo’s co-chief executive, Tekedra Mawakana, expressed excitement at the planned UK launch in an interview, saying:
“We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom.”
Waymo’s bid for UK roads has faced criticism from sceptics who question whether an autonomous vehicle fleet trained on data gathered in cities such as LA and San Francisco will be able to adapt to the often congested, winding streets of London.
Others, such as UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, have praised the decision, arguing:
“Boosting the AV sector will increase accessible transport options, alongside bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK.”
Subject to government approval, Waymo’s pilot will allow passengers to hail a Waymo using the company’s app. It is likely that the initial pilots will be restricted to a small area of London, allowing a handful of customers access to robotaxis in the venture’s early stages.
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