Ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft are lining up UK trials of fully driverless taxis in 2026, marking another step towards commercial autonomous transport on British roads.
The companies plan to use Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 vehicles, subject to regulatory approval, with London expected to host the initial pilots. Baidu’s robotaxis are already operating at scale overseas, completing millions of passenger journeys without a safety driver, giving the UK trials a relatively mature technology base.
The announcement adds momentum to the UK’s emerging autonomous vehicle landscape. It comes shortly after Waymo confirmed its intention to bring a fully driverless ride-hailing service to London, working with fleet partner Moove while engaging with national and local authorities.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the proposals support the Government’s ambition to introduce self-driving passenger services from spring, under controlled pilot schemes. Alongside this, the Department for Transport is gathering evidence from fleets to shape how autonomous vehicles are rolled out nationwide, as part of the next phase of the Automated Vehicles Act.
See more: Government seeks fleet input as UK prepares next phase of self-driving regulation
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