Image: Uber

Uber revealed on Wednesday a prototype car that it plans to use to scoop up real-world driving data for its growing roster of autonomous vehicle partners, including Avride, Waymo, and WeRide.

The vehicle is not some radical design. Rather, it’s a Hyundai Ioniq 5 fitted with an incredible number of sensors on the top and sides, as the company first told TechCrunch back in January. The sensor-laden vehicle may not look particularly groundbreaking, but it does mark a few milestones for the company.

This is the first vehicle Uber has assembled itself (with help from a partner) since the company sold its autonomous vehicle division to Aurora in 2020. It also represents progress on Uber’s new AV Labs division, which launched earlier this year to use sensor-equipped Uber cars to collect and then share data with its 30-and-counting autonomous vehicle technology partners.

Uber said Wednesday that it plans to roll out 500 of these kitted-out Hyundai EVs globally this year. That fleet will be able to collect “2 million miles per month of high-fidelity data” for robotaxis. Uber expects 50 of these vehicles to be on the road by the summer.

Source: Tech Crunch

Click Here to Read More

Image: Visit London

Passengers could book taxi and bus-style self-driving vehicles later this year, as applications open today for operators to run cars across Great Britain.

The pilot scheme will enable firms – including British self-driving technology company Wayve – to bring the technology to British roads, with the government projecting thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds of economic value by 2035.

Services could support greater freedom and independence for older and disabled people, as well as expanding travel options across work and leisure.

Human error currently contributes to 88% of collisions on UK roads, and the government says self-driving technology has the potential to reduce that figure.

Safety will be central to the pilot, which will gather real-world evidence on how self-driving vehicles operate on everyday roads, from navigating busy urban streets to interacting with traffic and carrying passengers. Services will be subject to approval checks by government, including safety assessments covering cyber and security threats.

“Self-driving vehicles represent a transformative opportunity for Britain, opening up independent travel for disabled people and older adults, whilst driving growth and creating high-skilled jobs across the UK,” says Simon Lightwood, roads and buses minister. “This pilot scheme brings that future closer, giving passengers the opportunity to experience self-driving travel first-hand while ensuring safety always comes first.”

Source: TTI

Click Here to Read More

American Bus Association CEO Testifies before House Subcommittee in Support of Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards Act

Fred Ferguson, President and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA), testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Environment during a hearing titled "Rules of the Road: Examining Legislation to Modernize the Clean Air Act's Mobile Source Requirements." The hearing examined several proposals to modernize federal transportation regulations, including the soon to be released bipartisan Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards Act (BUSES Act), legislation designed to establish a uniform national standard governing operational idling for over-the-road buses.

Click Here to Read More

Help USDOT Disrupt Human Trafficking and Compete for up to $100K

The annual U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Awards seek to raise awareness among transportation stakeholders about human trafficking and increase training and prevention efforts to address this crime.

Click Here to Read More

Fuel Prices Have Spiked More in ‘Energy Independent’ U.S. than in Nations That Have Moved Away from Oil and Gas

Average gas prices in the United States are quickly climbing toward $5 per gallon this week as U.S. President Donald Trump’s war with Iran shows little sign of resolution. Where average    prices were about $2.98 the day before the war’s launch, they had shot up to $4.48 as of Tuesday, according to AAA’s gas price tracker, as Iran’s restriction of ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz has squeezed global oil shipping and the shipping of other fuel sources like liquefied natural gas (LNG), causing global price hikes.

Click Here to Read More

Canada, Québec Announce $10 Billion Infrastructure Partnership​

A key transit project receiving support is the TramCité project in Québec City, which will be funded through the Strong Transit Fund.

Click Here to Read More

Kenvue Canada Saves Big on Diesel Costs with Fuel Transport EV Pilot

Fuel Transport’s short-haul electric vehicle pilot with consumer products giant Kenvue Canada yielded savings on diesel of nearly 45%, a company executive told Trucking Dive. The logistics transportation company in January deployed an electric truck for a short-haul, multi-stop route in the greater Toronto area for Kenvue, maker of personal care products including Aveeno, Listerine and Neutrogena. Now more than five months since the launch, Fuel VP of Operations Peter Perrella, said in an email the evaluation has gone well and could expand into other markets including the U.S. 

Click Here to Read More

Vancouver to Advocate for Low-Income Transit Pass

A Vancouver councillor's motion that pushed for a low-income transit pass for vulnerable people was passed with amendments on Wednesday. While Coun. Sean Orr had sought a program to be spearheaded by the City of Vancouver for those earning less than $40,000 a year, other councillors said that the city should instead advocate to higher levels of government on the issue, and not veer outside its jurisdiction as a local government. Advocates had welcomed Orr's motion, saying that the cost of transit was becoming prohibitively high in a city marked by unaffordability for years, and low-income people were having to choose between transit and other pressing costs.

Click Here to Read More

Taxi and Private Hire amongst the UK Sectors Most Impacted by Inflation As Cost Surge 54 Percent

The cost of running a business has risen significantly in the past decade, reshaping the business landscape across the UK. However, new research suggests that not all industries have been impacted on the same scale, and the taxi and private hire sector has been revealed among the UK sectors most affected, with operating costs having increased by 54% in the last ten years.

Click Here to Read More

Taxi Strike Planned As Greece Debates New Law

Taxi drivers in Greece are preparing for new strike action as parliament gets ready to debate and vote on a major transport reform bill next Monday. The proposed legislation, introduced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, covers a wide range of issues, including vehicle inspections, public transport operations, road and freight transport, and the expansion of electric mobility. It has already been approved in principle by a parliamentary committee and is now heading to a full vote.

Click Here to Read More

The Questions Hanging over Europe’s Micromobility Leaders

Four of Europe’s largest shared micromobility operators shared a stage together at Micromobility Europe in Berlin this week to discuss micromobility’s path to profitability. 

Click Here to Read More

Cebu Taxi Group Seeks Court Intervention against 1,000 New EV Franchises

A Cebu-based transport group has taken legal action to block the implementation of a policy allowing additional electric vehicle (EV) taxi franchises in Metro Cebu, raising concerns over alleged lack of consultation and potential impact on existing operators. The United Cebu Taxi Operators Association (Uctoa) filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Regional Trial Court Branch 57 in Cebu City on May 26, 2026.

Click Here to Read More

Mexican Cities Overhaul Urban Transit As World Cup Prep Enters Final Phase

As the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its final phase, Mexico is positioning the tournament as far more than a sporting spectacle. Across host cities Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, authorities are accelerating infrastructure upgrades, tourism development, mobility improvements and security enhancements in a bid to maximise the economic and legacy benefits of the world’s largest football tournament.

Click Here to Read More

Hong Kong Police to Launch 2-Week Crackdown on Distracted Drivers and Jaywalkers

Hong Kong police will launch a two-week citywide crackdown on distracted driving and jaywalking after the number of people killed in traffic accidents jumped by more than 40 per cent year on year in the first five months of 2026. The force said on Thursday that 51 people died in traffic accidents between January and May 31, up by 42 per cent from the same period last year. Pedestrians accounted for about half of the fatalities. According to police, jaywalking and inattentive driving were among the main causes of the accidents, while commercial vehicles were the type most frequently involved in fatal crashes.

Click Here to Read More 

Image: KIA

Kia’s latest wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) offering could provide taxi operators in some parts of the UK with a new electric option as the industry continues its transition towards lower-emission fleets while maintaining accessibility standards.

The manufacturer recently showcased its new PV5 WAV Side Entry model at the Motability Scheme Live exhibition in Birmingham, introducing an electric vehicle designed around the needs of wheelchair users, community transport providers and passenger transport operators. While Kia has yet to confirm UK market availability, the vehicle’s arrival prompts questions about whether it could also find a place within taxi fleets operating beyond the country’s largest urban centres.

Unlike traditional rear-entry WAV designs, the PV5 WAV Side Entry features a side-loading wheelchair configuration that enables passengers to board directly from the pavement. The design is aimed at urban mobility use cases, including taxi services, shuttle operations and private transport. For wheelchair users, side-entry access can offer greater convenience and improved safety by avoiding the need to enter or exit from the road.

The vehicle has been developed under Kia’s ‘Made-In-Plant’ conversion programme, allowing accessible variants to be built either directly within the manufacturer’s production facilities or through a dedicated conversion centre. The approach is intended to deliver greater production consistency and potentially improve supply for European markets where demand for accessible vehicles continues to grow.

For taxi drivers, particularly those working in towns and cities where fully-accessible vehicle requirements are becoming more common, the PV5 could offer an alternative to the limited number of electric WAVs currently available. Many licensing authorities have increased expectations around accessibility while also encouraging the move towards zero-emission vehicles, creating a challenge for operators seeking vehicles that satisfy both objectives.

Source: TaxiPoint News

Click Here to Read More

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026:

Weekly news snippets

Access to the membership database

Videos and files from recent conferences

Discounted rates for future conferences, and more!

Renew your membership at http://www.iatr.global or email info@iatr.global for any questions!