Robotaxis in London UK

The Associated Press reports that robotaxi serives through British tech company Wayve will be launched on September 3rd. Taxi News has retained the services of a freelance reporter to download the app; book a ride; and report on the process. London’s busy, narrow roadways may provide a unique challenge for the robotaxis, which will in fact be accompanied by a human driver.

“Robotaxi service debuts on London’s busy streets as Europe weighs more self-driving vehicles

LONDON (AP) — Uber and British tech company Wayve are launching London’s first self-driving taxi service on Thursday, giving residents a chance to use technology that’s already available in many U.S. cities and other parts of the world.

The two companies said they’re starting with a small rollout of Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles outfitted with Wayve’s autonomous vehicle technology.

Compared with the U.S. and China — countries where robotaxis operate autonomously in several cities, with no human driver — Europe has been taking a more cautious approach on self-driving cabs.

In London, there will still be a person behind the wheel overseeing the trip who can grab the wheel or tap the brakes if there’s a problem.

Under the U.K. government’s pilot framework, self-driving taxi operators like Uber and Wayve still need approval to operate without a human safety driver. ‘That process is still playing out,’ and it’s not clear how long it will take, said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s head of autonomous mobility.'”