Driverless cars on England’s roads this summer ...Middle East

Driverless cars could hit UK roads as early as this summer offering taxi services to people without anyone behind the wheel.

Ministers are pressing ahead with plans to bring forward new regulations around autonomous vehicles in the spring that will enable driverless vehicles to operate on UK roads.

A public consultation is running on the use of the vehicles, which is due to end in March and officials are confident that the cars will be in use via ride-hailing apps within months as part of pilot schemes.

So far three companies have announced that they will take part in the trials in London, US firm Waymo, Chinese operator Baidu, which has partnered up with taxi services Uber and Lyft, and British company Wayve, which is also working with Uber.

Under the terms of the “Automated Passenger Services” regulations, which will be brought into force in the spring, driverless vehicles will only be permitted as taxi and private hire vehicle services in England and bus-style services anywhere in Britain.

Driverless cars operate using a suite of sensors and detailed maps. In the US, where autonomous vehicles are already in use, if there is a fault or a collision involving one, it will stop and send a contact message to its support team.

Self-driving vehicles come with in-car controls such as a “pull over” button for passengers and are also programmed to recognise police lights and sirens if required to stop.

According to Transport for London, around 1.5 million cycling trips, and up to 10 million car journeys are made on average per day in the capital. Cycling trips have increased by 43 per cent in the last six years. Cyclists and motorists can often get into disputes on the capital’s roads – and that’s before ‘robotaxis’ have been factored into the equation.

Officials said the full scope and scale of the pilots will be defined by the Government and relevant local authorities, and the operators will undergo rigorous safety checks before they are given approval.

The companies will also have to get the green light from regulators to begin the pilots with fully autonomous vehicles.

Upon Lyft’s announcement that it was partnering up with the Chinese firm Baidu just before Christmas, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’re planning for self-driving cars to carry passengers for the first time from Spring, under our pilot scheme – harnessing this technology safely and responsibly to transform travel.”

The Baidu service will use its Apollo Go electric vehicles.

Waymo started testing its autonomous Jaguar I-Pace on London’s roads with a driver behind the wheel recently, and is understood to be laying the groundwork for a driverless pilot starting later this year.

The company operates in six US states, as well as in Japan, while Baido has already undertaken millions of driverless journeys in its native China.

Ministers have also been trialling the use of autonomous vehicles outside of cities, including rural and single track roads as part of efforts to boost connectivity in more sparsely populated areas.

The project used Nissan Leaf EVs to test what technology would be required to allow driverless cars to operate on rural roads.

The Government believes the self-driving cars market could create 38,000 jobs and help unlock an industry that is forecast to be worth around £42bn by 2035.

Despite optimism about the sector within Whitehall, there remain significant doubts over the viability of driverless cars on UK roads.

Your next read

Labour in civil war over Burnham as Rayner backs his return as an MP

PIP assessments set to be fast-tracked for benefits claimants with worsening health conditions

Andy Burnham wants Gary Neville-style successor for mayor, Labour sources claim

Wes Streeting: My cancer diagnosis was fast – how I’ll speed it up for everyone

The technology has been successfully deployed in US cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami as well as in China’s Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, which all operate larger, grid-like road networks.

But there is scepticism as to whether autonomous vehicles will be able to function on the UK’s roads, particularly those in city centres.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, which represents black-cab drivers, previously dismissed driverless cars as a “fairground ride”.

“It’s a tourist attraction in San Francisco,” he said. “Quite frequently one of them will lock up in the middle of a junction because it gets confused and the police have to come and park, wait for the Waymo man to get his laptop out and get it going again.”

He argues that London’s roads would pose a bigger challenge for autonomous vehicles due to the capitals irregular system.

A study by the University of Central Florida found that self-driving cars can be safer than those driven by humans excect at dusk, dawn or when turning.

A multi-car crash in San Francisco in January last year involved a self-driving vehicle and led to a fatality, and there have been other accidents in the US documented in the press. An operator can be liable if a person is injured in a collision involving a self-driving car.

A YouGov poll in the autumn last year revealed 79 per cent of adults did not trust driverless taxis, while 59 per cent said they would not feel comfortable riding in one.

Hence then, the article about driverless cars on england s roads this summer was published today ( Saturday 24/01/2026 - 09:06 AM ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Driverless cars on England’s roads this summer )

Also on site :

• Werk Room Weekly: Briar Blush faints on-stage, beefs with Mia Starr, more .. ‘Drag Race’ S18 E4 Recap
• Robert Reed’s Daughter, Who Appeared on 'The Brady Bunch', Dies at 69
• Canada Dry Brings Back Popular Flavor That Once Flew off Shelves