Self-driving taxis to be allowed on UK roads next year
Self-driving taxis can hit UK roads much sooner than first planned
- Self-driving taxis and bus services will be allowed on England's roads by spring 2026, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
- This initiative marks the first time UK companies can trial autonomous commercial services without a human driver.
- The implementation is scheduled a year earlier than initially planned.
- The full enactment of the Automated Vehicles Act, expected in the latter half of 2027, will permit the sale and use of self-driving private cars.
- It is estimated that the development of automated vehicle technology could create 38,000 jobs in the UK and add £42 billion to the economy by 2035.