These London boroughs will get self-driving taxis in 2026
Self-driving ride-hailing company Waymo is coming to London next year, with driverless rides set to be available in 20 boroughs.
The company announced its expansion to the UK capital earlier this year, stating that it is excited to support London’s extensive public transport network with its driverless taxis.
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are operated by the Waymo Driver, self-driving software that is trained on real driving data and is much safer than human drivers. Waymo says that its technology is involved in five-times fewer injury-causing collisions, and twelve-times fewer injury-causing collisions with pedestrians compared to humans.
Already operating in 115 cities across the United States, Waymo’s fleet serves hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous rides every week and is expanding its international footprint.
“We’re thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners,” said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana.
“Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate. We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom.”
Waymo has been laying the groundwork for its service and engaging with local authorities to prepare for the launch of its service in London, and it has now revealed more information about its rollout on its dedicated Waymo London web page.
The website assures riders that the Waymo Driver is prepared for London.
“With 100 million miles driven through countless situations on public roads – and billions more in simulation – it’s designed to navigate London’s unique streets, understand complex layouts and traffic patterns,” Waymo states.
More interestingly, in its FAQ section, Waymo reveals several of the boroughs in which it is conducting mapping and safety validation ahead of its rollout.
Waymo vehicles are currently testing in these areas ahead of offering commercial rides, signalling that the fleet’s initial rollout will include the following London boroughs:
- Barking and Dagenham
- Brent
- Camden
- Ealing
- Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Islington
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Southwark
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- City of Westminster
- City of London
“We are not yet offering commercial rides, but our testing hours typically run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to ensure our technology can safely handle all of London’s road conditions,” Waymo states on its website.
It adds that if Londoners see a Waymo vehicle in their borough, it is because that vehicle is mapping and validating its technology in their area.
“We aim to gather data across the widest possible range of London’s unique street layouts and driving conditions to ensure the Waymo Driver is robust and comfortable for future operation,” the company states.
