BY: Khushhboo Kabra
Apps that let people share rides could bring Chinese robotaxis to the UK in 2026. Uber and Lyft have partnered with Baidu to test the technology.
In order to test the driverless vehicles in London, the two businesses are trying to get regulatory licences.
Millions of rides have been completed by Baidu’s autonomous taxi service, Apollo Go, which is currently available in numerous locations, primarily in China.
The announcement, according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, is “another vote of confidence in our plans for self-driving vehicles”; nonetheless, many people are still dubious about their safety.
“Under our pilot program, we intend to use self-driving cars to transport people for the first time in the spring, utilising this technology to revolutionise travel in a responsible and safe manner,” In a post on X, Ms. Alexander stated.
As the government worked to expedite the framework to permit pilots of small autonomous “bus and taxi like” commercial services in 2026, Uber announced in June that it will move forward with its ambitions to test driverless cars in the UK.
“We’re thrilled to accelerate Britain’s leadership in the future of mobility and provide Londoners with another dependable and safe travel option next year,” On Monday, it spoke about its collaboration with Baidu.
As part of a European deal with Baidu, Lyft announced in August that it would try to implement driverless taxis in the UK and Germany.
Uber already runs “autonomous rides” in Atlanta, USA, where it also runs a robotaxi service thanks to a collaboration with Waymo.
David Risher, CEO of Lyft, stated in a post on X, in a post on X on Monday, Lyft CEO David Risher stated that riders in London would be the first in the area to test out Baidu’s Apollo Go cars.
However, regulators still need to be persuaded by both companies.
If green lit, Mr. Risher stated, Next year, testing for Lyft’s first fleet of dozens Baidu Apollo Go vehicles will start, “with plans to scale to hundreds from there.”