Autonomous vehicle deployment in London
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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· date approximate Milestone
Uber stock rises as London approves autonomous vehicle licenses
No separate article for this desk or language yet.
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· date approximate Background
The UK Department for Transport opened a permitting scheme for commercial robotaxi services.
In May 2026, the UK Department for Transport opened a permitting scheme designed to allow companies to operate commercial robotaxi services without a human driver. This permitting scheme is separate from the Transport for London (TfL) Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) regime.
The central government continues to assess applications for this scheme, involving input from local transport authorities such as TfL.
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· date approximate Background
Uber abandoned its own efforts to develop self-driving technology.
In 2020, Uber abandoned its own efforts to develop self-driving technology.
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· date approximate Background
Wayve has been testing its technology in London with safety drivers.
Wayve has been testing its technology in London since 2018 with the assistance of safety drivers.