Bolt set for £190m VAT bill after legal defeat Tax Ride-hailing platform Bolt has been refused permission to appeal a case brought by HMRC over how it calculates and pays its VAT. This follows HMRC winning an appeal in June against the Estonian tech giant over its VAT payments and calculations, overturning earlier decisions that had ruled in Bolt’s favour. The tax authority brought the [...]
Uber launches ‘autonomous’ cabs in London Transport & Infrastructure Londoners will be able to order “autonomous” Ubers from today as the ride-hailing firm becomes the first company to launch automated driving technology to customers in Britain. The San Francisco-based firm announced it will allow users to book the autonomous cars through its app in London from Thursday, via its partnership with British AI driving [...]
TfL greenlights Wayve’s autonomous vehicles in the City Tech Transport for London (TfL) has granted British autonomous driving firm Wayve a licence to operate its cars in the City, a move which will see robotaxis will make their first appearance in the capital later this year. Wayve said on Wednesday that TfL has approved a fleet of autonomous Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles to operate [...]
Councils accused of turning e-bike operators into ‘revenue stream’ as fees surge July 28, 2026 Cash-strapped London boroughs are squeezing e-bike operators with steep fee rises and growing enforcement charges, as the industry’s heavyweights warn councils are increasingly treating them as a cash cow. One London borough increased annual operating fees more than five-fold in a single year without adding any extra parking bays, according to figures seen by City [...]
Robotaxi rules row drives Waymo-Uber rift ahead of London launch July 28, 2026 A row over how robotaxis should be regulated has become one of the main reasons relations between Waymo and Uber have deteriorated, sources familiar with the matter told City AM, as the companies prepare to launch rival autonomous taxi services in London. At the heart of the ride-hailers’ dispute is whether new rules should favour [...]
Bolt eyes former Zipcar customers with London car-sharing push July 10, 2026 Bolt is expanding into UK car sharing through a new partnership with Hiyacar, as the ride-hailing giant looks to fill the gap left by Zipcar’s withdrawal from London. From autumn, Londoners will be able to book Hiyacar vehicles directly through the Bolt app without paying a membership fee, marking the first UK launch of Bolt [...]
Uber slams £340m London cabbie case as ‘completely unfounded’ June 30, 2026 Uber slammed a court case brought against it by thousands of black cab drivers as “completely unfounded” on Monday as the £340m lawsuit headed to trial. The preliminary hearing, which took place at the High Court, marks the first major test in one of the UK’s biggest competition and damages claims, brought by the 13,000 [...]
HMRC secures £190m VAT appeal win against Bolt June 17, 2026 HMRC has won an appeal against ride hailing platform Bolt over how it calculates and pays its VAT, overturning previous decisions that had ruled in favour of Bolt. This follows an appeal hearing last month brought by the tax authority, which had questioned whether Bolt could use the tour operators’ margin scheme (TOMS). Under this [...]
Lyft bets black cabs and robotaxis can share London’s streets June 16, 2026 Lyft is preparing to bring Chinese robotaxis to London and believes autonomous vehicles will grow the capital’s transport market rather than replace its drivers. The Uber rival has claimed the arrival of self-driving vehicles would create a “hybrid network” of robotaxis and human drivers, as the American mobility giant expands its presence across Britain through [...]
Uber and Wayve open waitlist for London robotaxis June 9, 2026 Uber has opened an interest list for customers keen to try autonomous minicabs in the capital, as self-driving taxis near a commercial launch in the UK. The ride-hailing giant is partnering with British autonomous driving firm Wayve, whose technology has been tested on London’s streets since 2018. Customers can now opt in through the Uber [...]