Waymo’s driverless taxis are coming to London, starting with a pilot this month (April 2026), with a full launch planned for September, but what does this mean for the British capital?
Will the notoriously difficult city streets become a chaotic mess of robot carnage? Well, I hope not – in fact, if the London experience is anything like the Waymos I rode in San Francisco, it might be the Uber replacement you’ve been waiting for.
These automated taxis could even make London’s streets a little safer.
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Waymo has been operating its robotaxis for years, and as of March 2026, its fleet numbered 3,000 vehicles. So she knows how to make the driver experience seamless.
The Waymo app is essentially the same as Uber or Lyft; you choose where you want to go and be picked up, request a ride and wait for your car to arrive.
In some ways, I found Waymo easier because when the car arrives, it displays your initials on the top of the vehicle, meaning you don’t have to do the awkward dance of cross-checking license plate numbers.
To unlock the car, you have to press a button in the app so that no random person can get in before you. Once everyone is in the car and has their seat belts on, all you have to do is press a button in the car to trigger it.
When you arrive at your destination, Waymo will let you know and park you in a safe location. He’ll also give some safety tips, like checking traffic before opening your door on the road – yes, it’s obvious, but if you’re coming from a party or a long day at work, a safety reminder is handy to ease the mental load.
It’s easy, but is Waymo safe?
The entire user experience is superbly smooth, and this is true for driving as well.
Driving is inherently risky—riskier than many of us realize—but according to Waymo itself, the company’s vehicles have 91% “fewer serious injuries or more serious crashes,” 83% “fewer airbag deployment crashes,” and 82% “fewer crashes causing injury” than regular human drivers.
This is all thanks to the three-sensor technology used by Waymo cars. They rely on cameras, radar and LiDAR to create an incredibly accurate 360-degree map of everything around the vehicle, including pedestrians, obstacles, other cars, cyclists, trams, traffic signs, practically everything.
That’s a lot more data and insight than we humans can provide with just our two eyes, and we also have to deal with a few blind spots while we drive. So it’s no wonder Waymo is much more secure.
Today, you may find that some driverless vehicles have poorer safety records, but this generally applies to competitors that rely solely on cameras and AI. Cameras alone are not yet as accurate as a system with LiDAR and radar, as the technology appears to be more prone to errors due to environmental interference – for example, cameras, like our eyes, can struggle in fog, unlike the triple-sensor setup.
From my own experience, I felt perfectly safe inside the Waymos I was riding in – the driverless car drove smoothly, merged with just the right balance of caution and confidence, and respected the speed limit.
What about my private life?
Finally, let’s talk about privacy. In some ways, Waymo is more private than a regular Uber or taxi, because even though the vehicle is equipped with microphones, the company says they’re only on when you’re speaking with assistance, otherwise they’re muted.
However, internal cameras are on constantly inside the car’s cabin, with social media filled with stories of people who didn’t realize it.
Remember that other people have to use these taxis, and if Waymo catches you doing things you shouldn’t do – including trying to drive the car – you’ll get in trouble, which could see your account penalized or suspended entirely. So don’t be weird.
Treat it like a driver is in the car with you, and I’m sure your trips will go smoothly.
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