Uber and Wayve receive licenses for autonomous taxis in London

Uber and Wayve received the first London minicab licenses allowing them to offer autonomous taxi services to paying customers, with human safety drivers during the initial phase. Transport for London granted 15 licenses for Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Wayve's AI driving software, 360-degree cameras, and radar. The companies state that TfL confirmed compliance with required safety standards. Over 100,000 Londoners are on the waiting list for the service. Taxis will begin operations this summer with a TfL-licensed driver who can intervene if necessary, although the AI software is expected to control the vehicle. The next step will be operating without a human driver, requiring approval through a new process with the government's DVSA agency. TfL said it will monitor the vehicles and is ready to intervene if passenger safety is compromised.