VCA to lead certification of UK driverless taxi fleets as government targets 2026 pilot launch
- Perry Richardson
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) will take the lead in determining which autonomous vehicles are safe enough to operate as commercial driverless taxis in the UK, placing the regulator at the centre of the country’s emerging automated mobility framework.
UK ministers confirmed the VCA’s pivotal role as part of a parliamentary exchange on the regulatory changes required to support large scale autonomous ride hailing deployments similar to those now active in US cities including San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden had pressed the Government on progress, prompting a detailed update from transport minister Simon Lightwood.
Lightwood said the VCA will conduct formal assessments on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport to determine whether a vehicle is capable of driving itself without human oversight or intervention. Only vehicles that meet this threshold can be certified as self driving under powers contained in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 and the earlier Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018. The decision gives manufacturers, software developers and fleet operators a single technical gatekeeper for any commercial rollout.
The minister added that full implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act is planned for the second half of 2027. However, he confirmed that government has accelerated one key element of the regime, bringing forward the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme to spring 2026. This route will allow pilots of driverless passenger services with no safety driver on board, provided operators can meet the national safety requirements and secure consent from the relevant local authority.
For mobility firms, the 2026 permitting window marks the earliest opportunity to run commercial robotaxi pilots on public roads, subject to VCA certification. The requirement for host city approval means deployment is likely to begin in a limited number of willing regions before any broader scale up. Local authorities will need to consider safety, public acceptance and how automated services sit alongside existing taxi and PHV licensing structures.
Taxi and private hire operators face the prospect of driverless competitors entering the market within two years, depending on the pace of regulatory delivery and local decision making.
Minister Lightwood said: ”The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (the Act) sets the foundation for enabling the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles on roads in Great Britain with full implementation of the Act planned for the second half of 2027.
“Earlier this year, government announced the decision to accelerate implementation of the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme to Spring 2026. This permitting scheme can help to facilitate pilots of commercial self-driving passenger services with no safety driver, from spring 2026. Any companies looking to deploy their vehicles will need to meet safety requirements and gain local authority consent.
“The deployment of these services as self-driving vehicles is enabled through the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018. To be seen as self-driving, the vehicle must, in the opinion of the Secretary of State for Transport, be capable of safely driving themselves without human oversight or Intervention for some or all of journey.
“The Vehicle Certification Agency will undertake the assessment, on behalf of the Secretary of State, to assess whether a vehicle is capable of driving itself without human intervention.”
