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American firm Waymo has announced that its self-driving vehicles will be available for use on London's roads starting next year.

UK Capital Named as First European City for Autonomous Ride-Hailing.

London will become the inaugural European city to introduce an driverless taxi service, akin to those already familiar in San Francisco and four other American locations using Waymo's cutting-edge technology.

Preliminary Trials to Begin with Trained Operators.

Waymo announced that its fleet are currently traveling to London and will commence driving on the city's roads in the coming weeks with trained human specialists in control.

Waymo – initially formed as a spin-off from Google's autonomous vehicle program and part of the Alphabet family – stated it would increase activities and collaborate with the UK transport authorities and Transport for London to obtain the required permissions to offer completely driverless services by 2026.

Increasing Involvement in Self-Driving Mobility Across London.

Other companies, including Uber and the UK-based tech company Wayve, have additionally revealed their own plans to test self-driving taxis in the capital next year.

This follows the government officials stating it would fast-track guidelines enabling real-world tests to take place before regulation supporting driverless transport becomes law in full.

“I am thrilled that Waymo intends to introduce their technology to London next year, under our proposed testing initiative,” said the transport secretary, the secretary.

“Supporting the AV industry will improve available mobility choices while also generating employment, investment, and possibilities to the UK. Cutting-edge investment like this will assist in achieving our objective to be international frontrunners in emerging tech and lead countrywide development.”

Comprehensive Introduction Projected After New Legislation Is Enforced.

A broader rollout of driverless cabs is expected in the UK after the related legislation comes completely into force in the latter part of 2027.

The Company's Current Ties in the UK and Beyond.

Waymo currently has connections to Britain after establishing its pioneering European engineering hub in Oxford in 2019.

It is also introducing services in Tokyo using JLR eco-friendly cars, marking its only other existing operation beyond the US.

“We've demonstrated how to safely expand totally self-driving ride-hailing, and we are eager to extend the benefits of our systems to the United Kingdom,” said Waymo's co-chief executive, explaining that the innovation was “improving road safety and travel more inclusive”.

Proven Experience in the US.

Waymo began its autonomous cabs in 2020 and presently states it has carried over 10 million passengers in the United States.

Despite some alarming incidents, Waymo stated that evidence revealed that vehicles controlled by humans were linked to incidents that injured walkers significantly more frequently than its driverless vehicles.