Posted on the 16th October 2026 in PHTM News

UBER BEGINS SELF DRIVING ROBOTAXI TESTING IN MANCHESTER

Uber has announced plans to pilot self-driving cars in Manchester, making it the second UK city after London to see the deployment of its autonomous vehicle technology.

Partnering with technology firms Verne and Pony.ai, Uber announced the news on 14 October 2026, marking its latest expansion following the launch of Europe’s first autonomous taxi service on the Uber app in Zagreb, Croatia, in August 2026.

Testing is now under way with Gen-7 Robotaxis mapping streets in north-west England with a safety driver behind the wheel and no passengers, a process Verne noted led to a "few curious looks" from onlookers.

The move comes as Uber targets offering robotaxi trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, primarily across the US and the Middle East, alongside existing services in locations such as Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Dubai, Las Vegas, London, Riyadh, and Zagreb.

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

The firm had previously launched limited passenger services in London at the start of September 2026 using vehicles supplied by Wayve with front-seat safety drivers under Transport for London’s licensing regulations.

However, the rollout faces growing opposition from taxi drivers, politicians, and trade unions. The GMB and ADCU unions have warned that thousands of drivers' jobs will be lost and have demanded support for affected workers.

Further scrutiny came from a critical report from London assembly’s transport committee this week, which called for the government to devolve authority over autonomous taxi services, noting "considerable uncertainty about many of the claimed benefits of autonomous passenger vehicles", as well as concerns surrounding congestion, public transport, safeguarding, and accessibility for disabled passengers.

Local transport authorities in Greater Manchester have also emphasised caution amid existing road congestion and ongoing efforts to encourage public transport and active travel.

While noting that the national government holds regulatory approval powers, a spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester confirmed no formal application to operate driverless taxis has been submitted yet.

They stated: "We want Greater Manchester’s taxis to be the safest in the country. That’s why we’ve got behind our trusted local trade – leading the call to ban out-of-area licensing in England and launching multi-million-pound support funds to help drivers upgrade their vehicles."

The spokesperson added: "New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region. But they need to be introduced responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents," reiterating that safety remains their top priority and that strong assurances will be required before any vehicles are permitted to operate on local roads.


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