Latest news with #AutomatedVehiclesAct
Time Out
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
Uber is launching driverless cars in London next year
Guys, it's happening. Driverless cars are about to become an actual real-life thing in the UK. Uber has announced that it has joined forces with AI firm Wayve to bring self-drive taxis (aka 'robotaxis') to London's roads next year. The big reveal has come after the UK government said that trials of fully driverless vehicles would be brought forward to spring 2026. Hang on, though – haven't trials been going on in the UK for years? Well, yes, for more than a decade actually. But those tests have all involved having a human safety driver on board, ready to take over the controls if necessary. Under the new government legislation, these new vehicles will be the first in Europe to operate without human backup. For now, the vehicles are just part of a trial and it's not clear whether they'll be available for customers to use – the company says that it's still ironing out the details. A larger rollout is expected in late 2027. The department for transport reckons that the vehicles will help reduce deaths and injuries on British roads, as they have faster reaction times than humans and have been trained on a large number of driving scenarios. It also says that they could create 38,000 jobs and add £42bn to the UK economy by 2035. Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: 'The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology.' The government's Automated Vehicles Act will require self-driving cars to be approved after tests to demonstrate 'a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers'. Robotaxis are already up and running in cities across the US, China, UAE and Singapore, and studies are still looking into whether they really are more or less safe than human-driven cars. Some people are more sus of the whole thing. Steve McNamara, the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, told the Guardian: 'They are living in fantasy land. We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London. 'Most people haven't got a robot hoover or a robot lawnmower even though they are absolutely fantastic. Are people who don't trust a robot to cut their grass or clean their house going to trust one to take their kids to school or drive their elderly mum around?'
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Steering into the future: Uber's driverless taxis hit London streets by 2026
LONDON, June 12 — Ride-hailing firm Uber will launch self-driving taxis in London next year when England trials new driverless services, the firm and the UK government said on Tuesday. Under the Uber pilot scheme, services will initially have a human in the driver's seat who can take control of the vehicle in an emergency, but the trials will eventually transition to being fully driverless. The government announcement will see companies including Uber allowed to trial commercial driverless services without a human presence for the first time in the UK. They will include taxis and 'bus-like' services. Uber CEO Andrew Macdonald described London's roads as 'one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments'. 'Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality,' he said. Members of the public will be able to book the transport via an app from spring 2026, ahead of a potential wider rollout when new legislation — the Automated Vehicles Act — becomes law from the second half of 2027, the Department for Transport added. The technology could create 38,000 jobs, add £42 billion (RM240.2 billion) to the UK economy by 2025, and make roads safer, it said. 'The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world-leaders in new technology,' Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. 'We can't afford to take a back seat on AI.... That's why we're bringing timelines forward today,' added Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. The wider rollout will also allow the sale and use of self-driving, private cars. Driverless vehicle trials have been underway in the UK since January 2015, with British companies Wayve and Oxa 'spearheading significant breakthroughs in the technology', the ministry said. 'These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services, and markets,' said Wayve CEO Alex Kendall. According to the government the forthcoming legislation will require self-driving vehicles to 'achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers'. 'By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries,' it said. Driverless taxis with limited capacity are already on the roads in the United States and China, most notably in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where a fleet of over 500 can be hailed by app in designated areas. — AFP
Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Brits believe roads will be fully driverless in 15 years - but want tougher laws
The government has set a timetable for the introduction of self-driving vehicles but research suggests many people are wary People want tough laws to keep driverless cars safe, a poll found. Most think self-driving vehicles will be commonplace within 15 years, and a quarter of young adults expect to buy one in the next three years. But the safety of the rapidly evolving technology is a concern. Nearly four in 10 questioned in research by National Accident Helpline disagreed that the current laws are adequate to address it. This figure rose to more than half among people aged 55 and over. Nearly 60% of the 2,000 respondents agreed that drivers should have a new licence for a self-driving car, while almost eight in 10 think self-driving cars should be required to pass more stringent safety tests than human-driven vehicles. The results come after Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander this week announced that the government will allow self-driving commercial vehicle pilot schemes from spring 2026. Uber, one of the first firms taking advantage of the move, says it will launch a robotaxi service in partnership with UK AI firm Wayve in London as soon as next spring. A wider rollout is expected when the full Automated Vehicles Act becomes law from the second half of 2027, although local authorities' consent will be required. John Kushnick, legal operations director at National Accident Helpline, said: 'What's fascinating is that many people express safety concerns about self-driving cars, yet often overlook how unsafe human drivers actually are. This highlights a clear gap in public understanding – most accidents are caused by human error, not technology. 'Over a third of respondents said they'd trust autopilot on planes more than a self-driving car, but again, that comes down to familiarity and education. Automation is already making travel safer, and public attitudes will likely shift over time, just as they did with autopilot in planes. "Liability, however, remains a key question. With autonomous vehicles, it's likely that manufacturers will bear more responsibility. "The benefit is that these cars will record everything, making it easier to establish fault. However, we'll need to rethink how insurance works when the human is no longer in control – does the policy belong to the person or the machine?" The implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act has been delayed by a year. It became law in May 2024, was initially hailed as a major step forward for the UK's self-driving car ambitions, establishing a legal framework stating that when a vehicle is in self-driving mode, the manufacturer - not the human occupant - is liable for its behaviour, with the intention of paving the way for the introduction of autonomous vehicles as early as 2026. Several factors contributed to the government's decision to push back the approval date, with safety concerns playing a major role.
Kuwait Times
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Kuwait Times
Uber to launch driverless taxis in London next year
PARIS: This photograph shows screens displaying the logo of the US multinational transportation company Uber, in Toulouse, southern France, on January 15, 2025. - AFP LONDON: Ride-hailing firm Uber will launch self-driving taxis in London next year when England trials new driverless services, the firm and the UK government said on Tuesday. Under the Uber pilot scheme, services will initially have a human in the driver's seat who can take control of the vehicle in an emergency, but the trials will eventually transition to being fully driverless. The government announcement will see companies including Uber allowed to trial commercial driverless services without a human presence for the first time in the UK. They will include taxis and 'bus-like' services. Uber CEO Andrew Macdonald described London's roads as 'one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments'. 'Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality,' he said. Members of the public will be able to book the transport via an app from spring 2026, ahead of a potential wider rollout when new legislation—the Automated Vehicles Act—becomes law from the second half of 2027, the Department for Transport added. The technology could create 38,000 jobs, add £42 billion ($57 billion) to the UK economy by 2025, and make roads safer, it said. 'The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world-leaders in new technology,' Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. 'We can't afford to take a back seat on AI.... That's why we're bringing timelines forward today,' added Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. The wider rollout will also allow the sale and use of self-driving, private cars. Driverless vehicle trials have been underway in the UK since January 2015, with British companies Wayve and Oxa 'spearheading significant breakthroughs in the technology', the ministry said. 'These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services, and markets,' said Wayve CEO Alex Kendall. According to the government the forthcoming legislation will require self-driving vehicles to 'achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers'. 'By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries,' it said. Driverless taxis with limited capacity are already on the roads in the United States and China, most notably in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where a fleet of over 500 can be hailed by app in designated areas.- AFP
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Uber to trial self-driving taxis in London next year
Uber will trial self-driving London taxis in Spring 2026. The transport firm is teaming up with the UK tech firm Wayve to roll out bookable rides via its app in the British capital. More self-driving taxis are set to be introduced when Automated Vehicles Act comes into force in late 2027. The move comes after the UK Labour government recently announced a trial period of self-driving vehicles would take place in Spring 2026. The Department for Transport (DfT) said 38,000 jobs, £42 billion to the economy, and safer UK roads would be created because of autonomous technology. In addition, it would improve accessibility for those who cannot or do not wish to drive, as well as transport options in rural areas in the UK. Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, said: 'The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology.' Alex Kendall, a co-founder and the chief executive of Wayve, said the accelerated trials would put the UK in a leading position for fully autonomous cars, adding: 'These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services and markets.' However, Elly Baker, Labour's transport spokesperson in the London Assembly feared London Black Cab, as well as private taxi drivers could suffer. She told The Guardian: "Although jobs might be created building and managing driverless cars, existing taxi and private hire drivers shouldn't risk being left behind." Steve McNamara, the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, said the move for self-driving taxis is something out of "fantasy land". He added to the publication: "We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London."
