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American firm Waymo has announced that its autonomous taxis will be operational for booking on London's streets starting next year.

London Becomes Leading European City for Self-Driving Taxi Service.

The UK capital will be established as the pioneering European city to launch an driverless taxi service, akin to those currently in use in multiple US cities and four other American urban centers using Waymo's innovative technology.

First Testing Phase to Start with Safety Drivers.

Waymo confirmed that its cars are now en route to London and will start navigating on the city's streets in the near future with trained human specialists behind the wheel.

Waymo – initially created as a derivative from the tech giant's self-driving car program and belonging to the same parent group – explained it would expand operations and partner with the Department for Transport and London's transport agency to secure the necessary approvals to provide fully autonomous services by 2026.

Growing Interest in Self-Driving Mobility In London.

Further organizations, including Uber and the UK-based technology firm Wayve, have likewise revealed their own plans to trial autonomous vehicles in the capital next year.

This comes after the government officials announcing it would fast-track rules allowing public trials to occur before laws supporting driverless transport is enacted in full.

“I am thrilled that Waymo intends to launch their services to London next year, under our suggested testing initiative,” said the government minister, the secretary.

“Strengthening the autonomous vehicle industry will increase available travel alternatives alongside bringing jobs, funding, and possibilities to the UK. Cutting-edge funding like this will help us deliver our objective to be world leaders in new technology and lead countrywide development.”

Complete Rollout Expected After New Legislation Takes Effect.

A broader introduction of self-driving cabs is anticipated in the UK after the related legislation is fully implemented in late 2027.

The Company's Current Presence in the UK and Beyond.

Waymo currently has links to Britain after opening its inaugural European engineering hub in Oxford in 2019.

It is furthermore introducing services in Tokyo using JLR electric vehicles, marking its only other current venture beyond the US.

“Our experience shows how to responsibly scale completely driverless ride-hailing, and we are eager to extend the benefits of our systems to the UK,” stated the company executive, explaining that the system was “improving road safety and travel more accessible”.

Proven Experience in the United States.

Waymo launched its self-driving cabs in 2020 and now claims it has carried over ten million riders in the US.

Regardless of some troubling events, Waymo stated that statistics demonstrated that cars driven by people were linked to crashes that hurt walkers significantly more frequently than its self-driving cars.