A UK private hire car company has unveiled its plan to launch self-driving taxis in London by 2021.
The firm, Addison Lee, has aligned itself with ground transport company Oxbotica, which specialises in self-driving vehicle software in its bid to lead the autonomous vehicle race.
Together the two companies plan to create digital maps of public roads in and around London, pinpointing the position of every kerb, road sign, landmark and traffic light in preparation for the deployment of autonomous cars.
"Urban transport will change beyond recognition in the next 10 years with the introduction of self-driving services, and we intend to be at the very forefront of this change by acting now," Addison Lee chief executive Andy Boland said.
"Autonomous technology holds the key to many of the challenges we face in transport. By providing ride-sharing services, we can help address congestion, free space used for parking and improve urban air quality through zero-emission vehicles."
Addison Lee's aim is to take a slice of the expanding car services market for connected autonomous vehicle technology, which is forecast to be worth GBP28 billion in the UK by 2035.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is supporting the push for autonomous cars, saying that he wants "genuine driverless vehicles" on Britain's roads, also by 2021.
To achieve this the UK government has tasked the Law Commission with carrying out a detailed review of driving laws to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the sector.
Addison rival Uber and several other firms are also gearing up to roll out driverless cars, pending safety and regulatory permissions.
The news comes at a challenging time for Addison Lee, which swung to a loss last year after it was stung by investment and acquisition costs.
The group posted a pre-tax loss of GBP20.8 million in the year to August 2017, compared to a profit of GBP10.5 million the year before.
Addison put the fall down to "intense long-term investment", acquisition integration and reorganisation, which culminated in GBP18.6 million of exceptional costs.
