Spain does not yet authorize driverless robotaxi services and, no matter how much companies like Uber have already announced that they will bring driverless cars to Madrid before the end of this year, a commercial service of this type will still take time to operate in the country. The technology exists and already works in other nations but Spanish legislation continues to start from a basic idea: all driving must have a human responsible party.
This leaves out, for now, the fully autonomous vehicle model (level 5), in which there is neither a steering wheel nor a driver.
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Uber will bring driverless cars to Madrid: what is known about the announcement
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Tests yes, service no: the current model
What the Directorate-General for Traffic does allow is to carry out automated vehicle tests, but under very strict conditions. That legal window is what would provide cover for the announcement made by Uber that it plans to deploy driverless cars for passenger transport in Madrid before 2027 and as part of its expansion strategy for autonomous mobility services.
In any case, it will require: prior case-by-case authorization, mandatory human supervision, specific insurance and protocols, and controlled environments or progressive phases.
In other words, the autonomous vehicle in Spain is in the laboratory phase, not commercial deployment.
Europe sets the pace: no homologation, no robotaxis
In any case, the legal development of this service in Spain depends to a large extent on Brussels and in this context three regulations are key: Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1689.
These regulations require autonomous systems to undergo very demanding safety, traceability, and supervision controls, and without this fully deployed framework, no robotaxi will be able to circulate legally in Spain.
The great blockade: Spanish law still requires a driver
In addition to needing progress in Brussels, for robotaxis to be legal in Spain, key regulations such as the Law on Traffic, Motor Vehicle Circulation and Road Safety; the General Traffic Regulations and the Spanish Penal Code would have to be reformed.
The fundamental change would be to recognize that the “driver” of a vehicle can be an automated system, something that the law does not currently contemplate.
Who is responsible if there is an accident: the big unanswered question
One of the main obstacles to giving the green light to the service is legal. On the table, the doubt of who would be responsible if a robotaxi causes an accident: the vehicle manufacturer, the software developer, the operating company, the user?
Without a clear answer to this issue, the system cannot be deployed on a large scale.
A business to regulate
Another of the issues that have not even been raised yet for a 'robotaxi' service to be able to start operating and that would need to be resolved is the transport model.
Spain would have to adapt the Law on the Organization of Land Transport to create a new service category, define licenses, regulate fares, and decide whether to compete or coexist with taxis and VTCs.
This point anticipates a strong conflict with the always combative taxi sector, with which it would begin to compete strongly for travelers.
Madrid, possible testing ground
That a company like Uber has cited a city like Madrid as the next laboratory for its autonomous vehicle service is due to favorable factors such as its high urban density, advanced digital infrastructure, and institutional interest in smart mobility.
But the actual rollout of the service is still far off, with many other variants - not just regulatory ones - to consider: limited zones (geofencing), integration with public transport, social acceptance, etc.
In the best-case scenario, a likely timeline for this service to come into effect would follow this scenario:
- 2025–2027: advanced pilots
- 2027–2030: first limited authorizations
- From 2030: commercial deployment if there is a complete legal framework