A YouGov survey of over 1,000 Londoners, commissioned by the
London Assembly Transport Committee, has found
opposition to the introduction of autonomous passenger vehicles
(APVs) in the capital.[1]
Although APVs have not been rolled out on a commercial basis in
the UK, several companies, including Uber, Lyft and UK company
Wayve, are seeking to obtain regulatory approval to transport
passengers in London as soon as this year.[2]
The survey found:
-
Londoners are more likely to oppose (42%) than support
(29%) the use of autonomous passenger vehicles in
London
-
Three in ten Londoners (29%) say they are likely to use
autonomous passenger vehicles if they were available
-
Only 17% trust these companies a great deal or a fair
amount to collect and analyse personal data
-
The most common concerns about using autonomous
passenger vehicles are about their ability to respond to
unexpected situations such as emergencies (48%), road danger
(41%), and system or technical failure (39%)
Chair of the London Assembly Transport
Committee, AM, said:
Hearing how Londoners feel about autonomous passenger
vehicles is an important part of the Transport Committee
investigation into their trial and possible rollout in
London.
The strength of opposition is concerning, and we believe the
Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL)
should sit up and take our survey results seriously when
considering the next steps for this
technology.
The scepticism of Londoners means concerns need to be
addressed and we will be making some strong recommendations when
the Transport Committee report is published after
summer.
Notes for editors:
- The survey was conducted by YouGov
for the GLA and the London Assembly between 12th and 19th June
2026. Responses from 1,053 London residents aged 18+ have been
weighted to be representative of all London adults
- See for example: BBC News,
Uber and Lyft announce
plans to trial Chinese robotaxis in UK in 2026, 22 December
2025 and Wayve, Wayve and Uber Partner to
Launch L4 Autonomy Trials in the UK, 10 June 2025
- YouGov survey results attached
