Waymo reveals when Londoners can use its robotaxis

Robotaxi company Waymo has revealed more about its plan for self-driving cars in London and when it hopes to transport customers.

Whether you’re on the fence about self-driving cars or a full-blown fan, London is fast becoming a battleground for tech firms wanting to launch robotaxis on its cramped roads.

Last month, ride-hailing platforms Uber and Lyft announced a partnership with the Chinese tech company Baidu to bring its electric robotaxis to the capital this year, and a British company Wayve also has plans.

Meanwhile, Waymo has already started testing in London to understand the capital’s quirks using a fleet of around 24 cars, each kitted with cameras, radar and light detection sensors.

When can London passengers use Waymo?

You might be able to order a Waymo robotaxi using an app by September if things go to plan for the tech firm.

At the moment, Waymo’s vehicles are whizzing across London as part of tests to learn the nuances of the city like zebra crossings, although they are fully driven by a human.

The next phase will see Waymo robotaxis with a safety driver in the car ready to intervene across a 100-square-mile area.

A passenger pilot scheme is expected to launch in April pending regulatory approval.

When the passenger operations launch later this year, the cars would not have a safety driver.

Critics have voiced concern over how robotaxis previously tested in more grid-like cities in China and the US will adapt to a more complex road layout.

‘Superhuman perception’

One major hurdle remains for all operators – the UK government first needs to give regulatory approval for services involving passengers.

Behind the scenes, work is ongoing between the government, Waymo, and Transport for London to create regulations for the self-driving taxis.

But Waymo and the government have emphasised the vehicles’ safety record, especially for cyclists and pedestrians.

The sensors can observe what is happening around them ‘much better, much more accurately and with more of a field of view than human drivers can,’ Nicole Gavel, Waymo’s head of business development and strategic partnerships, said.

She said the cars can achieve a ‘superhuman level of perception.’

Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, told Metro that regulations need to pass in parliament first to ensure that the trials are done ‘in a safe and responsible way.’

However, she said the arrival of the robotaxis is an ‘exciting’ development, adding that they could be ‘safer for people using our roads’ and that the driverless technology is ‘not going to be drink driving’ and ‘they are not going to get road rage.’

Which London boroughs are trialling Waymo?

It is not known yet where Waymo and other robotaxis will carry passengers.

Tests and mapping have been carried out in 19 boroughs, including Camden, Islington, Westminster and the City of London, but Waymo has confirmed it will start in a smaller area and expand from there.

Saber Fallah, a professor of safe AI and autonomy at the University of Surrey, told Metro that he believes that robotaxis are likely to be allowed in a specific area and during times of day ‘when the city is less busy.’

He said he doubts the benefits of robotaxis for customers, saying that the biggest winners are the operators looking to save on costs down the line.

He doubts that London will have fully driverless taxis for decades – meaning zero human involvement – and that even the upcoming robotaxis are likely to have a remote human operator ready to intervene if necessary.

When Metro readers were asked about robotaxis, over 65% out of 84 respondents said they would not ride a self-driving taxi in London.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, told Metro previously that while his priority is the safety of robotaxis, London should be ‘a test bed for pioneering technology.’

When asked about concerns over job losses to AI and automation, the mayor said ‘whereas some jobs may be lost, new jobs will be created.’

He continued: ‘This is one of the frontier sectors, and a lot of the London growth plan involves AI, quantum computing, and robotics.

‘What I’d say to Londoners is, don’t be scared about this technology.’

Both Baidu and Waymo are already operating robotaxis in China and in the US, respectively. Waymo has around 1,000 vehicles in San Francisco and another 700 in Los Angeles.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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