Waymo, the US driverless car firm, said it hopes to be operating a robotaxi service in London as soon as September this year.

The UK government has said it plans to change regulations in the second half of 2026 to enable driverless taxis to operate in the city but has not given a specific date, says the BBC.

Waymo said a pilot service will launch in April. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood commented:

“We’re supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads.”

The firm, which is owned by Google-parent Alphabet, showed off a fleet of cars it brought to the UK at London’s Transport Museum on Wednesday.

Waymo’s vehicles are currently being operated by a safety driver, mapping the streets, but when the service launches to paying passengers, there will be no human at the wheel. Ms Greenwood, who attended the Waymo event, said she expected driverless vehicles to make city roads safer.

“We know that unlike human drivers, automated vehicles don’t get tired, don’t get distracted and don’t drive under the influence,” she said.

But she added that autonomous vehicles also had to meet strict safety standards, “including protection from hacking and cyber threats” before they would be allowed on UK roads.

The government has estimated that the autonomous vehicle industry could add £42bn to the UK economy by 2035 and create nearly 40,000 new jobs.

(Picture: Waymo)