London's robotaxi rollout slips as TfL's guidance for operators is still missing

Previously

In Part 1, Waymo announced a London service under a government pilot scheme that was still a proposal. It gave no price, fleet size or start date.

LONDON, October 2026 — Transport for London has told the London Assembly that it is still writing the rules operators need before robotaxis can run without a driver. Here's what changed since Part 1 (October 2025), what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of Oct. 21, 2026)

• Driverless services: none. No vehicles were listed under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, and no application had reached TfL for consent. (Highways)
• Supervised rides: only Wayve, via Uber, takes bookings, with 15 vehicles for the whole city. (Highways)
• Demand: more than 100,000 people on Uber's London waitlist. (Guardian)
• Public view: 42% of 1,053 Londoners opposed driverless vehicles; 29% supported them. (London Assembly/YouGov)
• Cost to operators or TfL: not disclosed.

What's changed

Waymo began testing in April with about 100 Jaguar I-PACEs and a human safety operator behind the wheel, TechCrunch reported. On Aug. 5, the BBC reported that TfL had granted private hire licences to Uber for cars using Wayve's technology, on condition that a qualified driver is present and responsible. Running them with no driver would need separate approval from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The first UK services started in September, the Guardian reported. China's Baidu is also among the operators trialling supervised robotaxis on London's streets, Highways reported. Baidu is based in China. In August, the paper noted that the transport secretary had said fully driverless taxis could start in spring 2026; it called a launch this year unlikely.

What TfL told the Assembly

Christina Calderato, TfL's director of strategy, set out the process to the committee, Highways reported on Oct. 21. Operators apply to the DVSA for a permit, which then comes to TfL. "Then we would have a six-week window to consider that application," she said, and "if we do not respond within that six-week window, then consent is deemed to have been given." Once a permit is issued, TfL has "no further ongoing role," she added, according to Highways.

Applications for fully driverless operation opened on May 15, Highways reported. TfL's guidance, setting out what it expects from applicants, won't be ready "for some time," Calderato said. The Guardian reported on Aug. 26 that she had told the committee in July: "I do not think we are in a rush to get [the guidelines] out." No operator has applied for consent, TfL says.

The Assembly's verdict

In an Oct. 9 press release, the Assembly's Transport Committee said it was "not convinced that London should welcome autonomous passenger services," in the words of its chair, Caroline Russell. Its report followed on Oct. 11. It wants TfL to get the power to issue the permits itself, and says harm to congestion should be a reason to withdraw consent. The committee also wants operators to report crashes and near misses within 24 hours, the BBC reported on Oct. 16. It questioned whether remote help would be enough in a complex emergency: Waymo said passengers would have 24-hour remote assistance, while Wayve proposed an in-car button to reach trained staff. The Department for Transport told the BBC that safety was its priority. A TfL spokesperson told the BBC that any service "would need to support the aims of the mayor's transport strategy."

The drivers

"I think we should all be worried," Florentina Ghiuzan, an Uber driver from Essex, told the Guardian. The App Drivers & Couriers Union planned a protest at Wayve's offices after one at Waymo's Park Royal base in August. Per the Guardian, a Centre for British Progress report said more than 400,000 UK drivers, 121,000 in London, would soon find "much of this work obsolete."

What went wrong

• Promise vs. process. Waymo's 2026 target ran into rules that TfL says it isn't rushing.
• Limited powers. TfL can consent or refuse, but it can't suspend a permit once issued.
• Thin service. Fifteen supervised cars serve a waitlist of more than 100,000.
• What we don't know yet: when TfL will publish its guidance, and whether any operator will apply before then.

Our follow-up question for Transport for London

When will TfL publish its guidance for robotaxi operators, and has any operator started the pre-engagement it asks for?

Later developments (added Oct. 2026)

• As of Oct. 25, 2026, we found no TfL guidance published and no reported application for consent.

Sources

1. Highways magazine, George Barker, “Robotaxi rollout in London delayed, TfL tells London Assembly,” Oct. 21, 2026. highwaysmagazine.co.uk
2. The Guardian, Mark Sweney, “London rollout of robotaxis delayed amid lack of guidance for firms to follow,” Aug. 26, 2026. theguardian.com
3. The Guardian, Gwyn Topham, Oct. 16, 2026. theguardian.com
4. BBC News, Tom Edwards, “Robotaxis granted licence to operate in London,” Aug. 5, 2026. bbc.com
5. BBC News, “TfL needs more powers on driverless taxis - report,” Oct. 16, 2026. bbc.co.uk
6. London Assembly, “DfT v TfL - who's behind the wheel on Robocabs?” press release, Oct. 9, 2026. london.gov.uk
7. London Assembly Transport Committee, “Who's driving the future of autonomous transport in London?” Oct. 11, 2026. london.gov.uk
8. London Assembly, YouGov survey of 1,053 London adults, June 12–19, 2026. london.gov.uk
9. TechCrunch, Kirsten Korosec, “London gets closer to its first robotaxi service as Waymo begins testing,” April 14, 2026. techcrunch.com
10. Transport for London, FOI-4488-2526, published March 18, 2026. tfl.gov.uk

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder

© 2026 Real World Wire. Written October 25, 2026.