Uber launches first self-driving taxis in London with safety drivers
Uber's first self-driving taxis are now available in London, with safety drivers ready to intervene when needed.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Uber has launched its first self-driving taxi service in London, allowing passengers to hail a driverless car through its app. The initial fleet is small, just 15 vehicles, and each one carries a human safety driver who can take control at any moment. The cars use artificial intelligence developed by British firm Wayve, which has been testing the technology on the capital's streets for several years.
The launch marks a significant step for autonomous vehicles in the UK, but early rides have already revealed the challenges of driving in London. Journalists who took part in the first trips reported incidents where the safety driver had to intervene. Sky News tech correspondent Ronan Manthorpe watched a Wayve car try to turn right through a police roadblock during a protest, forcing the safety driver to grab the wheel. He said the moment shook his faith in the technology, though he acknowledged the car handled other tricky situations, including horses, emergency vehicles and a crash.
BBC News technology editor Zoe Kleinman, who was the first British journalist to hail one of the robotaxis, also experienced a safety intervention. The car was parked when a van suddenly opened its doors, and the safety driver took control. Wayve later said the driver had decided to intervene and that the system could have handled it. Kleinman noted that the government had previously suggested fully driverless rides could be available by Christmas, but that now looks increasingly unlikely.
The launch has raised questions about safety and jobs. A recent poll suggested many people would not feel safe in a self-driving car, and taxi drivers have expressed concern that autonomous vehicles could put them out of work. Uber says it expects human drivers to remain part of its service for a long time. The government, meanwhile, has estimated that the autonomous vehicle industry could add more than £40bn to the UK economy over the next few years.
Other companies are also competing in the driverless market, including Google's Waymo and China's Baidu. ITV News reported that London is only the second city in Europe, after Zagreb, to roll out robocabs. A UK law requires these vehicles to be at least as safe as a careful and competent human driver. Wayve says it will be months, not years, before the cars operate without a safety driver, but the events of the first day suggest that timeline may be optimistic.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 self-driving Ubers are operating in London. | · | |||
| Cabbies are concerned about passenger safety and job losses. | · | · | ||
| A recent poll suggested many people would not feel safe in a self-driving car. | · | · | · | |
| A safety driver had to take control of an autonomous vehicle when a van door opened. | · | · | · | |
| A self-driving car made a mistake during a test ride and required safety driver intervention. | · | · | · | |
| Driverless operation is expected within six months to a year. | · | · | · | |
| ITV's test ride was incident-free, but later an autonomous vehicle got stuck in traffic and a safety operator intervened. | · | · | · | |
| The government estimated the autonomous vehicle industry could add over £40 billion to the UK economy. | · | · | · | |
| The UK has a law requiring these vehicles to be at least as safe as a careful and competent human driver. | · | · | · | |
| There have been two confirmed fatalities globally in driverless vehicles so far. | · | · | · | |
| Wayve said the service is safe because of the safety driver and a phased approach. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused heavily on the safety driver intervention during its correspondent's ride, using it to question whether the technology is ready for London's unpredictable streets. The report highlighted the car's failure at a protest roadblock and the reporter's shaken confidence, while also noting the vehicle handled other challenging situations. The tone was sceptical about the timeline for fully driverless operation.
- “I Just watched an autonomous car make a mistake on London's roads”
- “that could have really been a dangerous moment if it hadn't been for the safety driver”
- “it shakes my faith in the ability of these cars to do this”
BBC One West focused on the wider context of the launch, including the government's economic estimates, the long development time, and the likelihood of a delay in fully driverless rides. Its correspondent was the first British journalist to hail a robotaxi, and the report highlighted both the system's capabilities and the safety intervention when a van door opened. The tone was analytical, balancing promise with caution.
- “I'm the first British journalist to hail a self-driving car”
- “we have actually had to activate the safety driver”
- “It has managed lots of hazards on the road”
ITV1 emphasised the practical experience of a ride and the behaviour of the cars in real traffic, including an incident where another autonomous vehicle got stuck and the safety driver took over. The report stressed the UK's legal safety standard and the worries of taxi drivers. It also noted London was the second European city to get robocabs, after Zagreb.
- “It looks like this vehicle here is probably going to cut in front of us”
- “Oh he's put his hand on the wheel. He's put his hand on the wheel.”
- “Wave says this is proof safety operators are doing their job”
5 News took a consumer-focused approach, asking members of the public for their views and highlighting scepticism about safety. The report mentioned that only 15 cars were operating and that safety drivers were still in place. It also noted that there have been only two confirmed fatalities globally in driverless vehicles, and interviewed a taxi driver worried about job losses. The tone was lighter and more conversational, but still sceptical.
- “I think that would be very unsafe”
- “there have only been two confirmed fatalities globally so far in driverless vehicles”
- “It's a very worrying development and it creates a sort of anxiety”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.