B1278 words2:11News Report British AccentPublished Sep 3, 2026 · Updated Sep 3, 2026

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People in London can now book self-driving taxis through the Uber app for the first time.

The autonomous vehicles, which are made by the British technology company Wayve, were added to the app on Thursday.

However, the chances of getting one of these robotaxis are very low because only 15 cars have been licensed so far.

In comparison, there are more than 100,000 private hire vehicles already operating in London.

The self-driving cars will still have a licensed human driver sitting in the front seat.

The driver is ready to take over the controls if something goes wrong.

Transport for London licensed Uber and Wayve's modified Ford Mustang cars as private hire vehicles last month.

The rules still require a safety driver to be present and supervising at all times.

Full automation without any human driver has not been approved yet.

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Thursday's launch is seen as an important milestone for the self-driving taxi industry.

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It has allowed Uber to move ahead of other technology companies that want to bring driverless taxis to London.

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London is considered a crucial market for a wider rollout across Europe.

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Other major companies are also testing their autonomous vehicles in the city.

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Google-owned Waymo and the Chinese company Baidu have been running tests in the British capital.

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Alex Kendall, who is the chief executive and co-founder of Wayve, expressed his pride about the launch.

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He said he was proud to introduce the company's artificial intelligence driver technology to the public for the first time.

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Kendall described London as the company's home city.

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Around 100,000 Uber customers have already registered to try the autonomous rides, which shows strong public interest in this new technology.

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London’s first self-driving taxis for hire hit the streets

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