Self-driving Ubers will be picking up passengers in London within weeks after Transport for London (TfL) awarded them a licence.
TfL has approved 15 vehicles operated by AI company Wayve, a British driverless car company, to operate private hire rides under the Uber brand.
Uber customers will be able to travel in the vehicles in the coming weeks under a tie-up between the two companies, although they will have a safety driver in the front seat at first.
A number of companies are seeking to launch driverless taxi rides in London including Google-backed Waymo and China’s Baidu.
Wayve is believed to be the first to have its autonomous cars licenced for private hire rides in London. The company has been testing its electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles in London in preparation for the launch and its vehicles, which feature cameras and radar systems, have been inspected by TfL officials.
Uber said more than 100,000 people had joined a waiting list for the service, meaning they may be picked up by a self-driving car when rides start later in the summer.
To carry out full driverless rides without a licenced safety driver in the front seat, the companies will need separate approval under the Government’s automated passenger services scheme.
Waymo, which is testing around 100 vehicles in London, has said it plans to start rides by the end of this year.
Sarah Gates, of Wayve, said: “This licence is an important step towards giving Londoners the chance to experience autonomous driving technology.
“The responsible deployment of these vehicles will bring us safer, cleaner and quieter streets and we’re proud to continue working alongside regulators, communities and the public as we take the next steps towards making autonomous rides a reality in the capital.”
A TfL spokesman said: “Safety is our top priority. Any new vehicle licenced to carry passengers on London’s roads must align with our Vision Zero goal of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries from collisions on London’s streets by 2041.
“A key requirement of any PHV [private hire vehicle] journey is for a licenced PHV driver to be present in the vehicle and that they are responsible for the vehicle at all times.”
Chinese tech giant Baidu and Uber announced in December that they would also be offering autonomous rides in London using vehicles made by Chinese robotaxi manufacturer Apollo Go. The company is also working with Freenow, which was bought by Uber’s rival Lyft last year.
Uber has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Wayve, which was valued at $8.6bn (£6.4bn) this year.