Uber says it will pilot self-driving cars in Manchester with two partners, Verne and Pony.ai. Manchester is the second UK city, after London, where Uber has announced self-driving plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported via the Bury Times on 14 October 2026.
“Today, we’re announcing that we’re partnering with Verne and Pony.ai to pilot autonomous vehicles in Manchester,” Uber said in a statement quoted in the LDRS report. “Building on our service together in Zagreb, Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in Manchester.”
The report said no launch date has been confirmed and that Uber will share more details later. Verne said it had started testing robotaxis in the city.
According to the report, the three companies already work together in Zagreb, Croatia, where Uber launched self-driving cars on its app in August 2026. Uber said it hopes to run self-driving trips in up to 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026.
What Greater Manchester says
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the region’s transport authority, made clear that the decision does not rest with local leaders.
“It’s the Government, not Greater Manchester, that gives autonomous vehicle companies permission to operate in the UK,” a TfGM spokesperson said. “Although no applications have been made to operate driverless taxis in Greater Manchester, we’re aware of potential interest from companies to do so.”
“New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region. But they need to be introduced responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents,” the spokesperson added. “Safety will always be our top priority, and we will need strong assurances that no vehicles will operate on our roads that pose any risk to residents.”
What this means
- Testing is not a service. Cars are being tested, but nobody can book a ride yet.
- No application yet. TfGM says no company has applied to run driverless taxis in Greater Manchester.
- The UK is opening up to robotaxis. Manchester follows London in Uber’s UK plans.
Sources
- Local Democracy Reporting Service (Declan Carey), via the Bury Times, “Manchester could get Uber’s self-driving taxis soon”, 14 October 2026. https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/26635909.manchester-get-ubers-self-driving-taxis-soon/
