Waymo gears up to launch robotaxis in London this year

London would mark the first foray into Europe for Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet and already present in a growing number of US cities.

The approvals are dependant on when a new law, the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act, is implemented.

Self-driving vehicles would undergo "rigorous" tests to prove they are at least as safe, competent and careful as human drivers, before being allowed on UK roads, the government said.

The government estimated that the self-driving vehicle industry could create thousands of jobs and add billions of pounds to the UK economy by 2035.

Local Transport minister Lillian Greenwood praised Waymo's planned rollout on social media Thursday.

"Their intention to bring automated passenger services to London under our proposed piloting scheme is a vote of confidence in our AV Act and could transform road safety and accessibility," she wrote on X.

Waymo already has dozens of vehicles operating in London with a safety driver present for mapping and data collection purposes ahead of the launch of pilot self-driving schemes later this year.

California-based Waymo partnered with UK-based Jaguar Land Rover in 2018 to develop a self-driving electric car.

"Over the coming months we'll work closely with our partners to invest in the operations infrastructure and personnel that will support our service, and continue fostering relationships with communities around the city," said Nicole Gavel, head of global business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo.

"We're committed to transparent, safety-first operations, and we can't wait for Londoners to ride."

Rival companies are lining up to join the fray.

Ride-hailing giant Uber has announced plans to launch driverless taxis in London with UK firm Wayve, whilst Chinese internet giant Baidu will launch a UK robotaxi service on rideshare app Lyft.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, which represents London's more than 10,000 black cab drivers, said that robotaxis are not as autonomous "as sold" because they have human agents ready to step in remotely when things go wrong.

"What will happen with lost property, sick passengers, change of routes etc is a bit of a mystery as is the viability of the business model," he told AFP.