Posted on the 27th July 2026 in PHTM News

MINISTERS URGED TO HAND TFL FULL CONTROL OF DRIVERLESS TAXIS AHEAD OF LONDON ROLLOUT

Ministers are facing growing pressure to hand full control of autonomous taxi trials over to Transport for London (TfL) as the capital prepares for the arrival of "robotaxis."

While the Department for Transport (DfT) previously stated plans to fast-track small-scale driverless testing in 2026 ahead of a wider rollout in 2027, companies such as Uber, Wayve, and Waymo are already seeking approval or actively testing fleets in London.

Under current rules, the DfT authorises driverless vehicles on public roads, but TfL holds licensing power over paid passenger services and must grant consent before commercial operations can begin.

Senior transport officials argue that central government intervention undermines local governance and risks diluting city transport oversight.

Caroline Russell (pictured), chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, criticised ministers for overriding local authority, noting: "The regulation of all of this is being controlled by the government when TfL should have a licensing role in this."

She emphasised that city regulators need oversight over operational rules, data sharing, and safety, warning: "There's all sorts of issues around that London's got to get on top of before anything gets unleashed on our streets."

Echoing these concerns, TfL Commissioner Andy Lord warned of a "risk" that the DfT could bypass devolved authorities during the rollout.

He explained to the transport committee that "there is a risk here, depending how the government introduces this, that actually the Department for Transport would have greater regulation on autonomous vehicles than TfL currently has."

Transport leaders are now urging ministers to streamline the framework by giving TfL complete local authority to manage and regulate autonomous vehicles across London's transport network.


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