Driverless cars could be rolling around the streets of London within months as new technology is ready to hit the roads. US driverless car firm Waymo has said that a driverless taxi service could operate within the capital as early as September, if the Government backs the plans.
Waymo currently has 24 vehicles roaming the streets of London, although they are still driven by humans at this stage. The Government could introduce new legislation which would allow driverless cars in the secondhand of 2026, opening the door for Waymo services to begin. If approved, it would be the first commercial driverless car service in the UK in another major step for road technology.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stressed that the company has proven it can “responsibly” operate driverless services and was ready for the UK market.
Tekedra said: “We’re thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners. Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate. We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom. ”
Waymo cars use a series of four sensor systems to gather crucial data to help its decision-making. Lidar, vision, radar and microphone tools all work together to paint a picture of an environment and ensure cars travel safely. Waymo stresses that its vehicles can see 360 degrees and as far ahead as three football fields, even during bad weather.
It is understood that passengers will be able to hail the new robotaxis via an app, but the service will not include airport drop-offs on launch. The new concept could be a devastating blow to London's taxi scene, while new competitors such as Uber could also be affected.
However, Uber and rival firm Lyft have also expressed an interest in developing their own driverless robotaxi services when rules allow.
Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed that driverless vehicles would need to meet specific requirements, such as "protection from hacking and cyber threats”, before they would be allowed on the road.
Lillian added: “We're supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads. We know that unlike human drivers, automated vehicles don't get tired, don't get distracted and don't drive under the influence.”