Uber debuts UK’s first driverless rides days after cutting 3,000 jobs

Uber has launched the United Kingdom’s first autonomous ride-hailing service, just a day after laying off thousands of workers in a major restructuring, according to a report by Peoples Gazette.

The company announced that riders in London requesting UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort may now be matched with all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Wayve’s AI Driver technology, at no extra cost.

A trained, TfL-licensed private driver will accompany each vehicle to supervise trips during this initial rollout phase, and riders can still opt for a non-autonomous ride before their car arrives.

The launch came 24 hours after Uber confirmed it was cutting its workforce by about 10 per cent, affecting over 3,000 jobs.