{"id":1110841,"date":"2026-07-25T17:28:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T17:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1110841\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T17:28:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T17:28:26","slug":"ministers-urged-to-give-tfl-say-on-driverless-taxis-as-rollout-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1110841\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministers urged to give TfL say on driverless taxis as rollout looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uber and Wayve are two of the companies hoping to launch automated vehicles in the capital this year reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"ACaroline Russell AM in a Wayve vehicle \u2013
(Credit: London Assembly)<\/p>\n

Ministers must hand over full control of driverless taxi trials to Transport for London (TfL), a senior London Assembly Member has said.<\/p>\n

Last year the Department for Transport (DfT) said it would fast-track the testing of \u201csmall scale \u2018taxi and bus-like\u2019 services without a safety driver\u201d in 2026 before a wider potential rollout in 2027.<\/p>\n

Several firms, including Uber and Wayve, however, are seeking approval to transport passengers in automated vehicles in London as soon as this year. Waymo is also currently testing its 100-strong fleet on the capital\u2019s roads.<\/p>\n

With Londoners likely to be the first riders in so-called \u2018robotaxis\u2019 \u2013 Uber has already asked users to express their interest \u2013 ministers have faced calls to devolve their oversight powers to TfL.<\/p>\n

Caroline Russell, who chairs the London Assembly transport committee, said the government appears to have \u201cstepped in on London\u2019s devolved powers\u201d with the issue of driverless taxis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe regulation of all of this is being controlled by the government when TfL should have a licensing role in this,\u201d she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all a bit surprised because this is a new technology but the government has been controlling these trials and giving permission for the trials without TfL having any say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is going to be a really gritty bit of the [committee] report, where we\u2019re going to be really digging into the detail of how all of that works and making sure that TfL stands up for the devolved transport powers that London has and makes sure that TfL manages the whole transport network.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey really should have a say in how the regulation works, what kind of data the companies have, and the rules around the way the vehicles work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s all sorts of issues around that London\u2019s got to get on top of before anything gets unleashed on our streets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, responsibility for authorising driverless vehicles on public roads sits with the DfT, but any paid passenger service would fall under TfL\u2019s jurisdiction. <\/p>\n

Also, permits for Automated Passenger Services to operate in London cannot be issued without TfL\u2019s consent, so the question is whether the DfT should make things simpler and hand over total control of driverless vehicles in London to TfL.<\/p>\n

TfL Commissioner Andy Lord has also said there is a \u201crisk\u201d of the DfT \u201ccutting across London\u2019s devolution powers\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re focusing on devolution because, again, there is a risk here, depending how the government introduces this, that actually the Department for Transport would have greater regulation on autonomous vehicles than TfL currently has,\u201d he told the London Assembly Transport Committee in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be really clear that this doesn\u2019t cut across around London\u2019s devolution powers, and particularly the Mayor and TfL\u2019s. Currently, there is no trial involving TfL \u2013 the trials are around how autonomous vehicles drive on the roads.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no trial around any form of commercial use that I\u2019m aware of, or that we\u2019re involved with \u2013 we want to engage with the DfT to understand what that looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2024, ministers passed the Automated Vehicles Act as an initial legal framework for operators. This ensured legal responsibility for any accidents in autonomous vehicles now lies with the approved operators rather than the driver. The Act will be fully implemented in the second half of next year.<\/p>\n

In May 2026, the DfT opened up applications for operators to run self-driving taxis commercially across Britain, with roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood saying such vehicles \u201crepresent a transformative opportunity\u201d. <\/p>\n

Ministers are hoping that rolling the technology out will help boost the economy and create thousands of jobs. However there are concerns in London about job losses among taxi and private hire drivers.<\/p>\n

Officials clarified that \u201clocal transport authorities, such as TfL, will also need to provide local consent to ensure services reflect local priorities\u201d.<\/p>\n

TfL sources say the body is currently in talks with a number of potential operators and will be setting out guidance for them shortly.<\/p>\n

Lord confirmed TfL does have the powers to prevent firms from gaining a licence to conduct commercial taxi services on London\u2019s roads, but companies could apply for other purposes, such as shopping and food delivery without approval from the transport body.<\/p>\n

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a TfL spokesperson said that they are \u201cactively engaging with government to help shape any future services\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety is our top priority and any new passenger carrying service would need the appropriate regulatory approvals,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n

A DfT spokesperson said: \u201cPermits for Automated Passenger Services to operate in London cannot be issued without TfL\u2019s consent. This requirement was set out in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, which was fully scrutinised by Parliament before becoming law. We continue to work closely with TfL ahead of any future pilots.\u201d<\/p>\n

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