A Waymo robotaxi drove straight through a police cordon in west London, where detectives were investigating a double stabbing. The incident occurred in Harlesden on Wednesday, when the autonomous vehicle, a white Jaguar equipped with rooftop sensors, suddenly ploughed through the tape despite blue lights and a 'do not cross' barrier.
Incident Details
An eyewitness filmed the scene as the robotaxi approached the junction. The vehicle narrowly missed a police officer standing near a patrol car. Its horn blared several times before coming to an abrupt stop. The person behind the camera exclaimed, 'Oh my days bro,' noting that it was supposed to be a Waymo driverless taxi. Police then spoke with the driver, who was seated at the front.
Waymo's Response
Waymo stated that the car was being driven manually by a safety driver at the time of the incident. The company believes that if the automated driving system had been active, it would have identified the police tape and stopped. The safety driver has been suspended pending an internal investigation. A Waymo spokesperson said, 'We sincerely apologise for any disruption caused by this validation driver, who was driving the vehicle manually. We take this matter seriously and are working with our operations partner to ensure appropriate actions are taken.'
Testing in London
Waymo, owned by Alphabet, introduced robotaxis on London roads late last year as part of initial testing. The goal is to launch passenger services later this year, subject to government approval. Until recently, the cars were controlled by safety drivers, but Waymo has begun testing with AI largely controlling the drive, though a human remains inside as a requirement. London has become a battleground for robotaxi firms, with tech companies eyeing the market that could open under new UK regulations. Critics have raised concerns about self-driving vehicles adapting to London's complex layout and traffic, especially after a Waymo robotaxi killed a cat named KitKat in San Francisco last year.
