Government to assess autonomous ride-hailing services ahead of spring 2026 launch
- Perry Richardson
- 33 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Government will introduce a new permitting regime for fully driverless passenger services in Spring 2026, creating what it describes as a “clear legal route” for autonomous taxi, private hire and bus-style operations to enter the Great Britain market.
In a written answer to the House of Lords on 18 February 2026, Transport Minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill set out the next steps for the deployment of automated taxi technology. Responding to a question from Lord Berkeley on the readiness of autonomous taxi technology for public use, Lord Hendy confirmed that the Department for Transport intends to introduce the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme in Spring 2026.
He said the scheme would “provide a clear legal route to deploying passenger services, such as taxi-, private hire- and bus-like services, with no human driver, providing certainty for operators to enter the GB market”.
Under the framework, both the service model and the vehicle technology will be subject to formal approval before operations can begin. Lord Hendy stated: “Both the service and the technology will be assessed before an APS permit is granted and the vehicle is listed as self-driving.” He added that “these assessments will be undertaken by agencies of the department, on behalf of the Secretary of State.”
DfT confirms new permitting scheme will scrutinise both operators and technology before driverless passenger services can carry the public
The confirmation sets a clearer timetable for the regulatory pathway that will allow autonomous passenger vehicles to operate commercially without a driver onboard. For operators and technology developers, the Spring 2026 target offers a clearer horizon for investment and deployment decisions.
For the taxi and private hire sector, the introduction of Automated Passenger Services is likely to raise competitive considerations. While the minister’s answer did not set out the detailed criteria for approval, the requirement for dual assessment indicates oversight of both technical safety performance and the wider service structure under which vehicles will operate.
Industry stakeholders are waiting for further detail on how APS-permitted services will interact with existing local licensing regimes, particularly in areas where taxi and private hire markets are tightly regulated.
For fleet operators, insurers and licensing authorities, the coming months will be critical in understanding how the new regime might shape the autonomous transport and what safeguards will be required before the first fully driverless taxi-style services begin carrying fare-paying passengers.
