Uber Begins Self-Driving Robotaxi Trial on Manchester Streets

The first self-driving cars are operating using technology from partner firms Pony and Verne, with which Uber recently launched Europe's first autonomous taxi service in the Croatian capital, Zagreb. In social media posts, Verne said it had "started our autonomous vehicle testing in Manchester," while Pony said there were "plans to bring robotaxis to the city" and that testing was under way.

Uber said it was "excited to take this first step toward making this technology accessible to people across the UK."

The Manchester tests involve mapping the streets of the north-west England city with a safety driver behind the wheel and no passengers in the vehicles. No official application to launch passenger services in Manchester has been made so far, and the vehicles are operating under government licence issued through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Department for Transport.

Limited passenger services began last month in London, but with a safety driver in the front seat of cars supplied by Wayve under Transport for London's licensing rules for private hire vehicles.

The next steps are unclear. Opposition from Uber drivers, their unions and the capital's politicians to the rollout of robotaxis is mounting. The GMB and ADCU unions have both said thousands of drivers' jobs will be lost and have called for help for those affected.

A critical report from the London Assembly's transport committee this week called for the government to devolve authority over autonomous taxi services. It said there was "considerable uncertainty about many of the claimed benefits of autonomous passenger vehicles," alongside fears over the impact on public transport and congestion, and over safeguarding and accessibility for disabled passengers.

A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester said the city wanted its taxis to be the safest in the country. "New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region," the spokesperson said. "But they need to be introduced responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents." The spokesperson added that although no applications had been made to operate driverless taxis in Greater Manchester, officials were aware of potential interest from companies. "Safety will always be our top priority, and we will need strong assurances that no vehicles will operate on our roads that pose any risk to residents."

Uber said it expected to be offering robotaxi trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, mainly in the US and the Middle East.