The future of travel has arrived, or so we are told. Driverless taxis are reported to begin operating on UK roads before the year is out. You may have even seen one of them on the road today. British startup Wayve Technologies has begun test runs ahead of government-backed robotaxi trials launching this year, with London set to become the UK’s test ground for autonomous vehicles. Global players, including U.S. company Waymo and China’s Baidu, also plan to take part with September launches publicised. Steve Birdsall, CEO, Gaist, discusses whether the UK’s roads are ready for autonomous vehicles It’s an exciting glimpse into the future. But, as it stands now, Britain’s roads aren’t ready for this revolution. Indeed, the data from these high-profile trials in London may be favourable, but it will paint a misleading picture of national readiness. The reason for this? London is a highly controlled and heavily resourced environment. So while the results might be positive for London and the deployments might well be highly successful, the reality for other parts of the country is far more complex. A well marked city street is very different from an overgrown country lane. Addressing this gap needs more than the current trials can offer. More than testing in controlled environments, the future viability of autonomous vehicles across the UK will depend on having a far clearer, more consistent understanding of road conditions across the entire network. London vs the wider UK: a gap in readiness With the UK’s roadmap for autonomous vehicles extending beyond just the capital, The Automated Vehicles Act of 2024 has established an ambitious framework for deploying self-driving vehicles across the country, with full autonomy within the next decade. However, while ambition is national, readiness is not. Beyond the capital, the challenge becomes significantly more complex.