# Uber claims its network boosts robotaxi trips as Waymo leaves app deal

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uber-says-it-alone-can-make-robotaxis-pay-hours-after-waymo-quit-its-app/
- Published: 2026-11-05T01:45:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T03:32:21+00:00
- Original publisher: The Register
- Original article: https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/11/05/uber-says-it-alone-can-make-robotaxis-pay-hours-after-waymo-quit-its-app/5307718
- Topics: Software, Technology

## Key points

- Waymo is ending its Uber booking partnership in Austin and Atlanta.
- Uber says its platform can improve robotaxi fleet profitability.
- Australia’s High Court ordered Uber to pay AU$81 million in payroll tax.

## Summary

Waymo will stop offering its robotaxis through Uber in Austin and Atlanta, ending an exclusive partnership because riders who requested a Waymo car through Uber were not guaranteed one. The announcement came hours before Uber argued that its app and operating network can make autonomous taxi fleets more profitable, sharpening the competition over who controls access to robotaxi customers.

Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said vehicles using Uber’s platform make around 30 per cent more trips per day than those on autonomous operators’ own apps, with shared charging and maintenance also helping fleet economics. Uber plans to put about 2,000 robotaxis on the road in 2027, followed by a larger expansion from 2028; in its third quarter, bookings reached $59.8 billion, up 20 per cent year on year. Separately, Australia’s High Court ruled Uber must pay AU$81 million in state payroll taxes, finding driver payments effectively count as wages.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.