If you’re searching for driverless taxis UK services, you can ride a self-driving taxi in London today, but only in limited, supervised form. Since 3 September 2026, Uber has matched some London riders with Wayve cars that drive themselves while a licensed driver sits on board. Fully driverless rides, with nobody at the wheel, haven’t started.
The London service excludes airports. We found no driverless passenger service in Birmingham, and Manchester has testing without passengers.
This guide covers where and when you can ride one, and whether it’s legal and safe. It compares the options with Uber and a pre-booked taxi, then explains what a professional driver offers today. Everything here is current at 23 October 2026, and it’s changing quickly.
Driverless taxis UK: where you can ride one today
Only one place in the UK offers public self-driving rides, and it’s London. Manchester has early testing, and we found nothing announced for anywhere else.
London: Uber and Wayve supervised rides
Wayve and Uber launched supervised autonomous rides on 3 September 2026. Londoners who request an UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort may be matched with a Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E at no extra cost, with the fare shown upfront in the app.
A trained private hire driver, licensed by Transport for London, sits on board to oversee the trip and take over if needed. Riders can accept the Wayve car or switch to a conventional ride before it arrives. You can opt in through the ride preferences in the app, but a match isn’t guaranteed.
The launch fleet was reportedly small, at around 15 vehicles. Rides cover Greater London, excluding airports. Uber said more than 140,000 London users had opted in by launch.
Waymo, Baidu and other London testers
Waymo has been testing in London with human safety operators behind the wheel. It says it aims to launch fully driverless rides by the end of 2026, subject to government approval. Baidu, working with Lyft, has also outlined plans to test in the capital. None of them offers public driverless rides yet.
Manchester: testing, not a service
Uber began autonomous vehicle testing in Manchester in mid-October 2026 with Pony.ai and Verne. The cars are mapping streets with a safety driver and no passengers. Transport for Greater Manchester says it hasn’t received any application to run driverless taxis in the city region.
Birmingham and the rest of the UK
We found no announced driverless passenger service or application for Birmingham. The West Midlands has hosted earlier trials, including autonomous pods in Coventry. A trial isn’t a taxi service you can book, so treat any claim of local availability with caution.
When will driverless taxis launch in the UK?
Supervised rides have already started in London. Fully driverless taxis depend on approvals that hadn’t been granted at the time of our latest check.
| Date | What happened or is planned |
|---|---|
| 20 May 2024 | Automated Vehicles Act 2024 receives Royal Assent |
| 15 May 2026 | Permit rules for automated passenger services come into force |
| 22 May 2026 | Government opens applications for driverless taxi and bus pilots |
| 5 August 2026 | TfL licences Wayve’s vehicles for supervised private hire trips |
| 3 September 2026 | Uber and Wayve start supervised rides in London |
| Mid-October 2026 | Uber testing begins in Manchester, without passengers |
| End of 2026 | Waymo’s stated target for driverless rides, subject to approval |
| Second half of 2027 | Government’s date for full implementation of the Act |
What still has to happen
A driverless passenger service needs an automated passenger services permit from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). In London, it also needs TfL’s consent. In late August, reports said the DVSA had issued no permits, and TfL said no operator had completed the first stage. We found no report of a permit since.
Waymo’s target is possible but unconfirmed. Treat any launch date as provisional until a permit is announced.
Are driverless taxis legal in the UK?
Yes, within a licensed framework. The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets the rules, and two different routes apply to passenger rides.
Supervised rides, like Wayve’s, run under the government’s code of practice for automated vehicle trials. In London, the operator, driver and vehicle must all hold TfL private hire licences. TfL granted Wayve’s vehicle licences in August, and the approval covers supervised trips only.
Rides without a safety driver need the permit described above. The government can suspend or withdraw permits if safety concerns arise. So no fully driverless taxi service is licensed yet, as far as we found.
Are driverless taxis safe?
UK law sets the bar. The draft statement of safety principles under the Act says authorised self-driving vehicles must be at least as safe as careful and competent human drivers. The government opened a consultation on that draft in June 2026.
No operator has carried UK passengers without a safety driver, so there’s no UK track record for fully driverless taxis. Waymo said in January that its US vehicles had driven more than 100 million fully autonomous miles. Those figures come from the operator, in different cities and on different roads. Supervised London rides keep a licensed driver ready to take over.
Driverless taxi vs Uber vs a pre-booked taxi
A Wayve ride is booked through Uber, so it isn’t a separate product you choose in advance. The table shows how the three options differ today.
| Wayve ride on Uber | Standard Uber | Pre-booked taxi or chauffeur | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who drives | Wayve AI Driver, with a licensed driver supervising | A licensed driver | A licensed driver |
| How you get it | Opt in, then get matched; not guaranteed | Request in the app | Booked in advance with the operator |
| Where | Greater London, excluding airports | Wide coverage | Wherever the operator covers |
| Price | No extra cost; upfront fare in the app | Varies with demand; reserved rides can lock a price | Fixed fare agreed in advance |
| Airport meeting | Not available | Usually a pickup point | Driver waits in arrivals with a name board, at NET |
We don’t claim any option is cheaper, because we haven’t compared like-for-like fares. Our guide to chauffeur vs ride-hailing for business travel compares human-driven options in more detail.
Airport transfers and driverless taxis
Driverless taxis aren’t available at UK airports today. Uber and Wayve’s London service excludes airport trips, and the other operators are still testing. Airports also set their own pickup rules and fees, so that could take time to change.
For flights, a pre-booked taxi still does the job. Our Birmingham Airport transfers include flight tracking, and your driver waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board.
For longer trips, a Heathrow airport transfer from Birmingham runs door to door at a fixed fare. Ask us when you book how any airport charges are covered in your quote.
What a pre-booked professional driver offers today
Here is what a pre-booked service from NET gives you today:
- A confirmed driver: Your booking is arranged in advance, with no search for a car on the day.
- A fixed fare: The price you’re quoted is the price you pay, with no meter and no surge pricing.
- Flight tracking: Your pickup follows your landing time, not the timetable.
- A meeting point you know: Your driver waits inside the terminal and walks you to the car.
- A person to talk to: Our team is available 24/7 if plans change.
This describes today, not a prediction. Driverless services already show upfront fares, and they may match more of these features over time. We simply haven’t seen them in UK passenger service yet.
Executive and corporate travel
Business travellers often value a named driver, a consistent car and monthly invoicing. Our corporate chauffeur service offers dedicated business accounts. No fully driverless executive service exists in the UK today, so there’s no direct comparison to make yet.
Will driverless taxis replace taxi drivers and chauffeurs?
Nobody knows yet, and the evidence doesn’t support a confident answer. Today’s rides carry a licensed driver, and the permits for fully driverless services haven’t been granted.
Regulators are cautious. The London Assembly’s transport committee has said there’s considerable uncertainty about the claimed benefits. Greater Manchester’s transport authority says it wants the region’s taxis to be the safest in the country. Lyft describes its plan as a hybrid network of self-driving vehicles and human drivers.
For passengers, the practical question is simpler. Which option suits this trip? A short, flexible city hop, an airport run and a client pickup may each have a different answer.
What to watch next
Several milestones will show how quickly things move:
- The first DVSA permit for a driverless passenger service
- TfL’s guidance and consent process for London
- Waymo’s launch decision and service area
- Any application for a Manchester passenger service
- Whether airports allow driverless pickups
- Full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act in the second half of 2027
Book a pre-booked airport taxi with NET
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-fare airport taxis from Birmingham and the Midlands, with flight tracking and a driver waiting in arrivals. Tell us your airport, flight number and passengers, and we’ll confirm the fare before you travel. You can book a pre-booked airport taxi online at any hour.
Related Articles
- Tracking Airport Taxis: What Happens if Your Flight Is Late?
- Fixed-Price Taxi vs Metered Taxi: Which Is Better for Longer Journeys?
- Taxi vs Uber vs Private Transfer: Which Is Best for UK Airport Journeys?
Frequently Asked Questions
When will driverless taxis launch in the UK?
Supervised rides began in London on 3 September 2026, with a licensed driver on board. Fully driverless rides need a DVSA permit and, in London, TfL’s consent. Waymo aims to start by the end of 2026, subject to approval, but no date is confirmed.
Are driverless taxis legal in the UK?
Yes, within a licensed framework under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. Supervised rides run under the trial code of practice and TfL licences. Rides with no safety driver need a permit, and none was issued in the latest reporting we found.
Are driverless taxis safe?
UK law says authorised self-driving vehicles must be at least as safe as careful and competent human drivers. There’s no UK record for fully driverless taxis yet. Operators publish US data, and London’s supervised rides keep a licensed driver on board.
Can you book a driverless taxi in London?
Not directly. Uber may match you with a Wayve car if you request UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort and opt in. A licensed driver is on board, airports are excluded, and a match isn’t guaranteed.
Will driverless taxis replace taxi drivers?
It’s too early to say. Current rides carry a licensed driver, and fully driverless permits haven’t been granted. Regulators, including TfL and Transport for Greater Manchester, are moving cautiously.
Will self-driving cars replace chauffeurs?
There’s no evidence yet either way. No fully driverless executive service exists in the UK today. A chauffeur currently offers a confirmed driver, a fixed fare and a meeting point arranged in advance.
Is a driverless taxi cheaper or better than Uber?
A Wayve ride is booked through Uber at no extra cost and shows an upfront fare. It’s a feature of Uber, not a separate service. You can accept the match or switch to a conventional ride before it arrives.
What happens if a driverless taxi breaks down?
In today’s supervised rides, a licensed driver on board can take over. Rules for fully driverless services, including emergency-responder data sharing, come through the permit scheme. We found no UK passenger service without a safety driver to judge yet.
Are driverless taxis available at airports?
Not in the UK today. Uber and Wayve’s London service excludes airports, and other operators are still testing. Airports also set their own pickup rules.
What’s the difference between a pre-booked taxi and a robotaxi?
A pre-booked taxi is a licensed private hire car with a driver, a fixed fare and a meeting point agreed in advance. A robotaxi is driven by software, and in the UK today it carries a supervising driver. It’s only available in London.
