Waymo apologises after driverless cars use taxi-only London charging bays
- Perry Richardson
- 41 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Autonomous vehicle operator Waymo has apologised after its electric vehicles were found using charging bays in London reserved exclusively for licensed black taxis.
Cab trade representatives reportedly raised concerns with Transport for London (TfL) after Waymo vehicles were seen plugged into rapid chargepoints designated for the capital’s licensed taxi fleet. Under London regulations, only licensed black cabs are permitted to use dedicated electric taxi charging bays installed to support the trade’s shift to zero-emission capable vehicles.
Access to the chargepoints is considered essential for taxi drivers, many of whom rely on rapid top-ups during shifts. The infrastructure was introduced alongside environmental requirements that all newly licensed taxis must be zero-emission capable.
According to The Standard, Waymo said it had raised the matter with the third-party company responsible for operating its fleet. “We take our responsibility to be a good member of London’s transport network very seriously, and we apologise to the taxi drivers whose charging needs were temporarily disrupted,” a spokesperson said.
TfL confirms action taken after black cab drivers report autonomous vehicles plugging into dedicated e-taxi chargepoints
“We’re aware of two instances of this issue and have been in close communication with TfL about each. We raised this with our driving operations partner, who assured us they implemented strict policies to address this human error.”
A United Cabbies Group spokesperson said the issue had been escalated to TfL. The union added that TfL told them “The company has been very apologetic and has taken some robust action. It has also put in place some further, practical measures to prevent these vehicles using taxi-dedicated points.”
