Uber and WeRide: driverless taxis coming soon to Zurich
Keystone-SDA
Zurich is set to become the first region in Switzerland to offer on-demand self-driving taxis.
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The US ride-hailing platform Uber and the Chinese technology firm WeRide plan to launch a commercial service later this year, subject to approval from the federal authorities.
Journeys will be bookable via the Uber app, the two companies announced today. The announcement comes just a few weeks after a similar launch in Madrid. The plan would make Zurich one of the first European cities to see advanced trials of driverless transport.
The commercial service will be operated by Uber, whilst the fleet will be under the operational supervision of Rydera, a Zurich-based mobility service provider. Initially, the vehicles will operate with an operator on board, but the stated aim is to gradually expand the fleet with a view to eventually achieving a fully driverless service.
The choice of Switzerland is no coincidence. WeRide has already secured authorisation from the Federal Roads Office (Ustra) to carry out driverless tests in the Furttal region, on the outskirts of Zurich, from the end of 2025.
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This regulatory framework represents a decisive competitive advantage in speeding up the roll-out of the service, pending final approval for commercial operations.
With this project, Zurich joins an exclusive global club. Currently, Uber and WeRide already offer fully driverless commercial services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as public transport services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The strategic partnership between the two companies, launched in December 2024, aims to bring tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles onto roads worldwide in the long term.
Entry into the Swiss market therefore represents a key step in this international expansion. In Zurich, commuters and tourists could soon be hopping into a driverless taxi just as easily as they currently book a traditional ride, marking the start of a new era for urban mobility in Switzerland.
Translated from Italian by AI/jdp
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