Uber Technologies Inc said it was working with Baidu Inc to launch a trial of self-driving taxis in the United Kingdom, following in the footsteps of US self-driving technology company Waymo, which began similar trials in London this month. Uber explained in a statement on Monday that a pilot program will be launched in London during the first half of 2026 using Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 self-driving taxis, with the service actually starting in the city before the end of next year. The spread of self-taxi services is accelerating globally, with Chinese companies such as Baidu and Weride Inc, along with Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, at the forefront of this race. Uber and WeRide already operate self-driving services in Abu Dhabi, with plans to expand in the Middle East, while Baidu is conducting similar experiments in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Switzerland. Also Read: Uber and Baidu collaborate to launch Robotaxi in Asia and the Middle East. Uber Partnerships In 2020, Uber abandoned the development of self-driving technologies, instead starting to establish partnerships with a group of companies working in this field. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview with Bloomberg TV this month that the company plans to offer self-driving services in more than ten markets by the end of next year. Other transportation platforms are adopting similar strategies: Lyft Inc. has signed a deal with Baidu to operate autonomous taxis in Europe, while in Southeast Asia Grab is partnering with Chinese companies WeRide and Momenta. The profitability of the autonomous taxi model remains unclear, as Pony AI Inc and WeRide continue to suffer losses despite selling shares to raise financing.