Late last year, mobility-as-a-service providers including Lyft, Uber and Waymo confirmed plans to trial “robotaxis” in the UK, starting in London. Local authorities, transport providers and consultants will be paying attention to accessibility and social impact as they enter into operation.

“Using such vehicles to connect areas poorly served by public transport into key transport hubs and networks could be incredibly valuable,” says Dr Nick Reed, a leading mobility advisor and consultant. “We need to watch public transport accessibility levels and the numbers of people who can access hospital services, education or jobs within a 60-minute boundary.

“If AVs (automated vehicles) make essential services more accessible, and improve people’s quality of life in other ways, that’s what we want. We need to set those aims and work with the service providers to help achieve them. They’re the right measures of success.”

Robotaxis will be regulated by the Department for Transport and local authorities, and Reed cautions that licenses should be managed to avoid additional congestion and potential reductions in walking, cycling and public transport use. 

Travellers will likely be able to hail the first driverless cabs during an initial trial phase later this year, with full operation slated for 2027. 

Regulatory considerations and safety

The UK passed the Automated Vehicles Act in 2024, establishing the legal basis for the regulation of self-driving vehicles. The current government has maintained strong support, but robotaxis won’t get the green light until a raft of uncertainties have been resolved. 

Last autumn the Department for Transport launched a call for evidence, asking 125 questions intended to aid future development of AV regulation, with particular attention to self-driving taxis. The questions spanned:

• Approvals required for different vehicle types
• Remote operation, and when humans may be required to take control of a vehicle
• Data collection 
• Cyber security
• Licensing criteria
• Requirements for accessibility 
• Protocols for incident investigation
• Sanctions and penalties

Those uncertainties have legal, technological and social dimensions. Winning societal acceptance is probably the most challenging, Reed believes. “UK streets present a complex operating environment – AVs have to perform safely around pedestrians (who have right of way), bicycles and e-scooters, cargo bikes, police horses,” he says. “People will want reassurance that vehicles won’t pose an unacceptable safety risk, and won’t freeze if there’s a power blip or they lose 5G connectivity.”

But experience in China and US cities is that, following initial caution, trust grows fast. “The novelty effect wears off quite quickly and AVs become a rather mundane feature of the transport landscape,” Reed concludes.

Read more: CIHT highlights need for balanced, sustainable approach to Automated Vehicle Regulation.

Image: Waymo Self driving taxi car in Downtown San Francisco. Credit: Shutterstock.