UK driverless taxi and bus pilots (Automated Vehicles Act): UK release date and price

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets Great Britain’s long-term rules for self-driving vehicles, mostly due in late 2027. In June 2025 the government brought forward one piece: pilots of taxi- and bus-like services with no safety driver, promised for spring 2026. Pilot-scheme guidance was published on 31 March 2026, and the Automated Passenger Services permit regulations took effect on 15 May 2026. An operator needs a Vehicle Special Order or type approval from the VCA and an APS permit from the DVSA. For taxi-like services it also needs consent from the local licensing authority, which is TfL in London. No APS permit had been reported as issued by 1 November, and in the summer TfL said it was in no rush to publish its consent guidance. The queue is growing: Baidu has been testing in Brent with Freenow by Lyft since July, aiming for public rides in 2027, on 8 October Pony.ai and Uber said they would start testing in London within weeks (no start reported yet), and on 14 October they began mapping Manchester with safety drivers. On 9 October the London Assembly Transport Committee said it was not convinced London should welcome driverless services, and asked for TfL to issue permits once the full regime arrives. So the promised spring 2026 pilots have not yet carried a paying passenger. For UK businesses, any robotaxi or driverless shuttle you see today still has a human aboard, and insurance and liability under the full regime are a 2027-plus question.