London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for powers to cap the number of robotaxis on the capital's streets before fully driverless cars are allowed to operate at scale. The call, reported by The Guardian on 1 November 2026, comes as the UK government prepares to allow fully driverless vehicles in London under a national licensing scheme.

At present, Transport for London can give or refuse consent for fully autonomous vehicles in London, but it cannot license or manage robotaxi services, or set a limit on how many vehicles may operate. Khan is lobbying the government for wider powers for Transport for London over automated vehicles.

What is already being tested

Freenow by Lyft is testing about 24 Baidu Apollo Go vehicles in the London borough of Brent, and hopes to launch fully driverless robotaxis as early as next year. Uber has offered limited passenger rides in self-driving cars from Wayve since September, with a safety driver in the front seat, under a licence from Transport for London.

Why the mayor says rules need work first

Khan pointed to open questions over air quality, congestion and the jobs of private hire and black taxi drivers. He said politicians had not grasped the pace of change, and warned against a large-scale rollout before regulation is ready, saying: "London isn't San Francisco." He also said: "What we don't want is a situation where there's a big bang without proper regulation in place."

Khan argued London, with almost 10 million residents and many narrow roads, needs local controls.

Sources

Daily AI Brief, reporting The Guardian, 1 November 2026: Sadiq Khan calls for cap on London robotaxis. The Guardian's 1 November 2026 report is the original reporting behind this story.