TfL robocab trial gains cautious backing as London Assembly Transport Committee says approval was ‘not entirely unexpected’
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
The London Assembly Transport Committee has responded to Transport for London’s decision to approve a supervised autonomous vehicle trial involving Uber and Wayve, describing the move as “not entirely unexpected” while signalling that significant questions remain before any fully driverless passenger services should be introduced.
The comments come after TfL granted Private Hire Vehicle licences to up to 15 Wayve-operated all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the company’s AI Driver technology. The one-year trial will initially operate with a licensed private hire driver behind the wheel while the autonomous system is supervised, rather than in a fully driverless configuration.
Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said: “The approval for up to 15 vehicles on a trial basis for a year, is not entirely unexpected.”
Russell highlighted that the Committee has spent recent months examining the proposed introduction of autonomous passenger vehicles in London. The inquiry has gathered evidence from industry experts, operators, representatives from the taxi and private hire sectors, Transport for London and the Department for Transport, while also considering lessons from international deployments in San Francisco and Oslo.
She added: “Uber and Wayve had been clear they would start by operating with a licenced private hire driver at the wheel, without actually operating in fully autonomous mode.”
The Committee’s response suggests the current approval aligns with expectations that early deployments would remain under direct human supervision rather than allowing vehicles to operate without a safety driver.
That distinction has formed a key part of discussions around how autonomous technology could be introduced within London’s tightly regulated taxi and private hire framework.
However, the Committee also indicated it is not yet convinced that the regulatory environment is ready for fully autonomous passenger services. Russell said: “The Committee still has many questions about the safeguarding of passengers, so we would not be expecting TfL to give consent at this stage for full autonomous operation. Those concerns and recommendations will be published in our report, which is due out in the next few weeks.”
The forthcoming report is expected to provide recommendations following evidence sessions with regulators, technology developers and representatives from London’s taxi and private hire industries. Passenger safeguarding, regulatory oversight and operational safety are likely to feature prominently as policymakers consider how autonomous vehicles should fit within existing licensing arrangements.
The Committee’s comments arrive as debate continues across the industry following TfL’s decision to license Wayve’s autonomous vehicles as private hire vehicles. The move has prompted discussion about how autonomous passenger services should be regulated in future, particularly given previous proposals that suggested dedicated permit schemes rather than the existing taxi and private hire licensing framework.
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