Noted on 13 Oct 2026

California has put a number on how long a robotaxi can sit in the way of an ambulance: 30 minutes. From July 2028, operators must send a person to a stuck car when emergency services ask, and cities can fine them up to $10,000 per car if it's still in the way half an hour later.

The UK is doing it in the other order, at least on paper. Nobody runs a driverless passenger service here yet, but when they do they'll need a government permit (and TfL's consent in London), and the government can pull it if a car causes "an unacceptable delay to an emergency worker".

The rules don't say what unacceptable means. There's no time limit and no requirement for anyone to turn up. The pilot guidance expects remote help to be advice only, which is what a Waymo in Dallas sat waiting for last month (see comment below) at a police diversion.

Figuring this out before the first permit is issued feels pretty important. A car that stops when it isn't sure is behaving safely, but it's still in the road. Someone has to move it, and the questions are who, from where, and how quickly.

Should a response time like California's be written into the UK permits, or left to each operator to promise?