Investing.com -- Uber Technologies Inc. launched a waitlist on Monday for customers who want to ride in a robotaxi in London before the service begins operations in the UK later this year.

UK customers can join an interest list through the Uber app to indicate their preference and improve their chances of being matched with a Wayve Technologies Ltd. robotaxi when the service starts. Uber did not provide a specific launch date.

Similar to Uber's operations in Austin and Atlanta, where the company partners with Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo for driverless rides, London customers will be able to accept a driverless vehicle or switch to a human-driven ride.

The autonomous vehicles are electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs equipped with cameras, radar sensors and self-driving software developed by UK-based Wayve. A licensed operator will initially supervise the vehicles from behind the wheel. The operator will not manually drive the vehicle unless an intervention is needed, a Wayve spokesperson said.

Wayve needs additional regulatory approvals from the UK's Department for Transport before offering unmanned passenger rides, according to the spokesperson. This requirement also applies to competitors like Waymo and China's Baidu Inc., which are also planning to offer robotaxi services in London this year.

Uber has partnered with more than a dozen technology and vehicle partners, including China's WeRide Inc. and Pony AI Inc., to offer driverless rides on its app in the Middle East and parts of Europe.

The upcoming launch will be Wayve's first passenger service after tests across Europe, North America and Japan in recent years. In February, the company raised $1.5 billion from investors including Eclipse Ventures LLC, Balderton Capital, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Uber at a $8.6 billion valuation.