Uber ‘ready to launch’ driverless cars in UK

Uber is ready to launch driverless taxis across the UK’s streets despite their approval being pushed back another two years.

Andrew Macdonald, Uber mobility senior vice president, told the BBC the taxi company’s autonomous vehicles would be on Britain’s roads as soon as possible.

Fully autonomous cars were set to be on the roads by 2026 but the new government has pushed that date back to mid 2027.

"We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us," Mr Macdonald told the BBC.

In the US, he said robotaxis typically operate for 20 hours per day, seven days per week, and was working with 18 automated car tech companies to bring them to the UK.

Driverless taxis are also already in operation in China, the UAE and Singapore. Mr Macdonald said the UK was not lagging behind, and it only made sense for the technology to exist where it has been developed.

The previous Conservative government said the technology would be approved by 2026 with former transport secretary Mark Harper travelling in a Wayve self-driving vehicle.

But the Labour government has now said this will be 2027 as it “explores options for short-term trials” in the meantime.

There are concerns around insurance, ownership and liability when a self-driving vehicle is involved in an accident, according to the BBC.

In the US, General Motors stopped its driverless taxi service in San Francisco over safety concerns. “The reality is that one accident is too many,” Mr Macdonald added.

"That said, with EV (electric vehicles), human drivers… we operate in the real world and stuff happens,” Mr Macdonald said.

In January, a video of a man trapped inside a Robotaxi doing circles around an airport carpark in Arizona went viral.

A Department for Transport spokesperson told the BBC: “We are working quickly and will implement self-driving vehicle legislation in the second half of 2027.

“We are also exploring options for short-term trials and pilots to create the right conditions for a thriving self-driving sector.”