Ministers are being urged to give Transport for London (TfL) the final say on whether automated, driverless taxis can operate in London as the rollout approaches. Multiple companies, including Uber and Wayve, are seeking approval to carry passengers in automated vehicles in London as early as this year, according to the reports. The calls focus on governance and safety oversight, arguing that TfL should retain primary responsibility for decisions affecting operations in the capital.
The coverage indicates that interest in passenger-carrying automated vehicles is developing quickly, with applications coming from firms involved in vehicle automation and ride-hailing. The central point of agreement across the reporting is that London’s regulatory framework may be shaped by how responsibility is assigned between national ministers and TfL. The reports do not describe an approved start date, but they frame the near-term decision-making as a key factor in whether automated taxi services begin operating in London sooner rather than later. The matter is presented as both a regulatory and operational issue ahead of possible deployment.
