LONDON (AP) \u2014 Robotaxi pioneer Waymo plans to expand to London next year, marking the company\u2019s latest step in rolling out its driverless ride service internationally.<\/p>\n
Waymo said Wednesday that it will start testing its self-driving cars on London streets in the coming weeks \u2014 with a human \u201csafety driver\u201d behind the wheel \u2014 as it seeks to win government approval for its services. <\/p>\n
In a blog post, Waymo said it will \u201clay the groundwork\u201d for its London service in the coming months. The company said it will \u201ccontinue to engage with local and national leaders to secure the necessary permissions for our commercial ride-hailing service.\u201d <\/p>\n
Waymo\u2019s self-driving taxis have been operating in the United States for years, and currently serve the cities of Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin. This year, the company made its first moves to expand internationally by teaming up with local partners in Japan for testing, though no launch date has been set for commercial service there. <\/p>\n
The company began as a secret project within Google and was then spun out from the tech giant. <\/p>\n
Waymo will have to follow new U.K. regulations on self-driving cars that pave the way for autonomous vehicles to take to the country’s roads. They require self-driving cars to have a safety level \u201cat least as high as careful and competent human drivers\u201d and meet rigorous safety checks. <\/p>\n
The company will be able to take part in a pilot program for \u201csmall-scale” self-driving taxi and bus services that the government plans for spring 2026. <\/p>\n
Waymo will also have to stick to rules from Transport for London, the city’s transport authority, which oversees licensing for its famous traditional black cabs as well as other taxi operators like Uber. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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