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Robotaxis may hit the streets of London before the end of 2026.

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, is preparing to launch driverless taxis in the UK. Competitors including Uber and Lyft are also planning to launch similar services once regulations permit.

The government is actively supporting this development through passenger pilots and innovation-friendly regulations.

Waymo's vehicles use advanced sensor technology including lidar, vision systems, radar and microphones to monitor their surroundings up to three football fields ahead in all directions, even in poor weather conditions.

Autonomous vehicles could improve road safety compared to human drivers, who can become tired, distracted or impaired.

The UK government estimates the autonomous vehicle sector could contribute £42 billion to the economy by 2035 and create nearly 40,000 jobs.

This innovation in transport technology will allow passengers to book journeys through an app, though initially airport transfers will not be available. Waymo already operates over 1,700 robotaxis in American cities, having completed 173 million autonomous miles, though some technical malfunctions have occasionally occurred.