Uber and Wayve's plan to launch self-driving taxi rides in London "later this summer" now looks unlikely to happen this year, as regulatory and technical hurdles delay the timetable the UK government had set out. Transport for London has yet to publish the guidance companies must follow to gain approval, with TfL's director of strategy telling the London assembly there was "no rush" to release it, despite the government having earlier moved up the target start date to spring this year. The delay matters because Uber and Wayve say more than 100,000 Londoners have joined a waiting list, and the firms are competing with Waymo and Baidu's Apollo Go to be first to market in the capital.

TfL has granted 15 private hire licences to Wayve-equipped Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles, though a licensed driver will remain behind the wheel to intervene if needed, and Uber and Wayve plan small-scale piloted trials soon while working towards a fully driverless service using a new Nissan Leaf still in production. Waymo says it is going through the safety approval process and aiming for a fully autonomous service "by the end of this year", while Baidu only began London testing last month and expects public rides in 2027. Fully driverless operation additionally requires a separate government permit from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which has yet to approve any vehicles; robotaxis already operate in over 20 cities worldwide, including Zagreb, which became the first in Europe this month.