Are UK drivers ready for the robotaxi revolution?

Driverless taxis, also called robotaxis, have moved from science fiction to a genuine prospect on British roads. The government has set out plans to allow self-driving vehicles, with the first commercial pilots of driverless taxi and bus-style services expected to begin from 2026 under the Automated Vehicles Act. Trials are already running in several UK cities, and overseas, fully driverless taxis now operate commercially in parts of the United States and China.

That shift raises an obvious question: are ordinary drivers actually ready to get in a car with no one at the wheel? To find out, we asked them. The findings below are based on a survey of over 1,000 UK licence holders, and they reveal a public that is more divided, and more interesting, than the hype around robotaxis suggests.

When we asked over 1,000 UK licenced drivers whether they would ever consider using a driverless taxi, 39% said yes - either saying they would use one now if available, or that they would try one once other people had gone first. That leaves 61% who said either not for a few years, or never.

While a majority remain sceptical, the level of openness is striking given that driverless taxis are not yet widely available on UK roads. Nearly one in five drivers (17%) said they would use one right now if the option existed. A further 22% said they would be willing to try once others had gone first - a pragmatic position that suggests many sceptics could become converts as the technology becomes more normalised.

The most striking finding in the data is the gap between how women and men view driverless taxis. Half of all female licenced drivers surveyed - 50% - said they would consider using a driverless taxi. Among men, that figure drops to just 31%. That is a 19 percentage point difference, and it did not emerge by chance.

When we asked those who said yes what most appealed to them about the idea, the top answer among women was clear: feeling safer than they would getting into a car with a stranger. In a world where getting into a taxi or rideshare means sharing a confined space with an unknown driver, the appeal of a vehicle with no driver at all takes on a different meaning. For many women, the question of driverless transport is not simply about technology - it is about personal safety.

This finding adds a dimension to the driverless car debate that is often missing. Much of the public conversation focuses on technical trust and job displacement. For a significant portion of the population, the calculus is simpler: a driverless taxi removes a variable that makes conventional taxis feel unsafe.

Among the 39% of drivers who said they would consider using a driverless taxi, we asked what most appealed to them. Safety was the single biggest factor overall, cited by 29% of open respondents - and it was even more pronounced among women. Convenience came second at 19%, followed closely by the possibility of lower cost at 18%. A notable 17% cited novelty - the simple appeal of trying something new - while 14% mentioned not having to make conversation with a driver as a genuine draw.

Environmental benefit was cited by 7% of open respondents, suggesting it is a secondary rather than primary motivator for most. Taken together, the picture that emerges is of a public that is most persuaded by practical, personal reasons - safety and convenience - rather than technological enthusiasm or environmental idealism.

Among the 61% who said they would not yet use a driverless taxi, we asked what put them off. The most common response was straightforwardly practical: 55% of sceptics said they simply do not trust the technology yet. This is not an irrational position - driverless vehicles are still in early-stage deployment globally, and high-profile incidents have shaped public perception.

Feeling unsafe with no human in control was cited by 38% of sceptics, while 33% said they simply prefer a human driver. Concerns about liability - who is responsible if something goes wrong - were cited by 11%, and 7% said they would miss the human interaction of a conventional taxi. What the data suggests is that scepticism about driverless taxis is less about a blanket rejection of new technology and more about a reasonable desire for proven safety and clear accountability.

We also asked all respondents a broader question: if you needed to use a car you did not own, would you prefer to insure yourself and drive it, or use a driverless taxi? Despite 39% expressing openness to driverless taxis when asked directly, 55% of all drivers said they would prefer to borrow and drive when given the practical choice. Only 18% said they would prefer a driverless car, with a further 18% saying it would depend on the situation.

This tells us something important: openness to driverless taxis does not necessarily mean preference for them. For many drivers, the appeal of autonomous transport is conditional - a novelty or a safety-driven choice in specific circumstances, rather than a wholesale replacement for driving. The demand for flexible, short-term access to a car you do not own - whether that means borrowing a car or driving as a non-owner, and the insurance that makes it possible - remains strong even among those most open to the driverless future.

Taken together, the findings paint a picture of a public that is curious about driverless technology, cautiously optimistic in parts, and firmly grounded in practical concerns. The gender gap is the standout finding - not because it is surprising in isolation, but because it shifts the terms of the debate. The conversation about autonomous vehicles tends to be dominated by engineering, regulation and economics. This data suggests a parallel conversation about personal safety and who gets to feel safe in transit has been underweighted.

For the driverless taxi industry, the implication is clear: if safety - not just of the vehicle, but of the passenger - is the primary appeal for the most enthusiastic segment of the population, that is where the case needs to be made most loudly. Reassurance, transparency and a track record of safe operation will matter more to women than any amount of technology marketing.