Waymo vehicles cause noise disturbance in London test; San Antonio service paused after incidents
Waymo driverless taxis caused noise disturbance in a London residential street by repeatedly reversing out of a dead-end cul-de-sac in early May 2026 during testing. The company apologised for the disruption. Service was also paused in San Antonio following flood-related incidents.
What happened
A Waymo driverless taxi repeatedly reversed out of a cul-de-sac on Elder Street in Spitalfields, east London, in the early hours of the morning most days in the week of 5–12 May 2026, making loud reversing and siren sounds at about 04:00 BST.
Waymo is testing driverless taxis in London by sending them out with safety drivers inside but no passengers. The company plans to operate a robo-taxi service in London by September 2026.
Service in San Antonio was paused after flood incidents, according to reporting.
Reported impact
Residents of Elder Street in Spitalfields said the vehicle had been waking them up with a 'ridiculous mixture of a reversing noise and siren sound.'
Governance controls
Waymo apologised 'sincerely for any disruption caused.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.