London’s first autonomous taxi service launched on Thursday, allowing Uber customers to book rides in self-driving vehicles operated by British startup Wayve. While these cars navigate the city’s roads independently, human safety drivers remain present to monitor the journey and intervene if necessary, due to pending regulatory approvals that prevent fully autonomous operation.

Passengers booking a Wayve vehicle via the Uber app will be informed at the start of their trip that the car is driving itself and the safety driver, who is licensed by Transport for London, will not engage in conversation. Safety drivers are instructed not to speak with passengers unless assistance is needed, such as helping with luggage. Passengers must open their own doors using the app, and drivers are discouraged from providing city recommendations or engaging in small talk in order to preserve a “pure” autonomous ride experience.

Alex Kendall, CEO of Wayve, emphasized that the human operators function solely as safety overseers rather than guides. He noted that first-time users of autonomous vehicles often experience mixed emotions but generally adapt quickly after trying the technology. “They are trained safety operators, not a tour guide,” Kendall said. He added that the service will transition toward full autonomy in a phased manner once it secures full regulatory clearance.

Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, explained that the company has designed the user experience to closely mimic a fully driverless journey. He cautioned that passengers seeking interaction with a human driver or a more personalized city travel experience should opt for a conventional ride instead.

The introduction of autonomous vehicles has drawn criticism from some traditional taxi drivers. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, expressed concern that the lack of human interaction in these autonomous rides undermines a longstanding social aspect of London’s taxi culture. “We’ve always thought cabs in London are like a confession box,” McNamara said. He described the new approach as a “dystopian future” and questioned how safety drivers would be disciplined if they broke the silence rule during rides.

The autonomous taxi service marks a significant step in the UK’s efforts to integrate self-driving technology into urban transportation, balancing innovation with safety and regulatory compliance. Uber and Wayve intend to expand the self-driving fleet and move toward fully autonomous service pending regulatory approval.