Uber and Wayve have been granted their first minicab licenses in London to offer autonomous taxi services to the public, marking a significant development in the adoption of self-driving vehicle technology in the British capital. The companies plan to commence rides with human safety drivers present later this summer, with over 100,000 Londoners reportedly on waiting lists for the service.
Transport for London approved 15 private hire vehicle licenses for Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Wayve’s artificial intelligence driving software, along with cameras and radar systems. The vehicles will operate with licensed private hire drivers present during trips to intervene if necessary, though the autonomous software is expected to handle driving duties. Both companies indicated that TfL confirmed the vehicles meet required safety standards.
Progression toward fully driverless operations will require the companies to obtain approval through an automated passenger services permit from the government’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. TfL stated it would monitor vehicle usage and remain prepared to take action should passenger safety concerns arise, emphasizing that any new licensed vehicles must align with the city’s goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries from collisions by 2041.
Wayve, which has conducted testing with safety drivers in London since 2018, characterized the license as an important milestone toward making autonomous driving accessible to Londoners. The development has drawn concern from minicab drivers and union representatives, who expressed worries about employment losses and liability issues. Meanwhile, the competitive landscape includes other firms such as Google-owned Waymo and Baidu’s Apollo Go, positioning London as one of the first cities where American and Chinese autonomous vehicle operators will compete directly on the same roads.
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