London Robotaxi Rollout Delayed Unlikely to Launch This Year

The rollout of self-driving robotaxis on the streets of London is unlikely to take place this year, as technical and regulatory hurdles delay the ambitious schedule set by the UK government. A lack of guidance for participating firms has contributed to pushing back the timeline. Only weeks prior to the delay, Uber and London-based company Wayve were granted the capital's first minicab licences. These licences were intended to permit the companies to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers, with a human safety driver remaining in place for the initial phase before a full public launch. Although both companies had announced plans to start customer trips later this summer, the expected rollout has now been pushed back.