Waymo hopes to bring its business here soon [Waymo]

THE robots are here!

Robo-taxis that is… A futuristic fleet of driverless vehicles will be trialled in Westminster in the coming weeks.

Google parent company Alphabet-owned firm Waymo announced this week it hoped to bring its business to London.

The company said the trial would begin with “trained human specialists” behind the wheels of the cars, with a view to a roll-out in 2026.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, which represents London cabbies, has said the trade was not worried by the announcement, and added: “It’s a novelty, it is a gimmick. It is the solution that we don’t need. Who needs a driverless cab?”

Unveiled with support from transport secretary Heidi Alexander and the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, the taxis are expected to be available to the public in late 2026.

The company is still working with both the Department for Transport and Transport for London to “secure the necessary permissions to offer fully autonomous rides in 2026”. Those permissions rely on the government finalising driverless car regulations and giving Waymo the go-ahead to operate on a permanent basis.

Uber and United Kingdom company Wayve are also planning to trial driverless taxis in the capital next year.

Heidi Alexander said: “Boosting the AV sector will increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK.

“Cutting-edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal.”

Waymo’s co-chief exec-utive Tekedra Mawakana said the technology was “making roads safer and transportation more accessible”, and added: “We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom.”