Will self-driving taxis soon tear through Budapest’s streets? That’s what the experts say now

Self-driving taxi services are surging ahead in American and Chinese cities, but the innovation throws up thorny legal, economic, labour market, and safety hurdles that Europe is determined to tackle on its own terms. Even so, some predict these driverless cabs could be prowling Budapest’s roads within a few years. Others—interest groups and experts—are pouring cold water on the hype, warning of steep challenges ahead.

Time to brace for the robot revolution

Last December, Vitézy Dávid, leader of the Podmaniczky faction in Budapest’s city assembly and the government-backed mayoral candidate for June 2024, stirred the pot by suggesting that tech solutions already thriving in US megacities could soon hit Budapest—and we’d better get ready. He faced instant backlash: László Toroczkai, head of Mi Hazánk, accused him of plotting to swap Budapest’s cabbies for robots.

Vitézy fired back that this isn’t his doing—it’s the global tide. Driverless taxis, he noted, are far safer, causing 92% fewer accidents based on real-world data. We wrote that everybody should watch out before taking a taxi in Budapest since it may happen that you will end up with a driver who does not have a driving license or even basic schooling.

In his post, he highlighted two key facts:

• Google’s sibling firm Waymo, the US leader in autonomous taxis, is already testing in London; and
• Estonia’s Bolt—the dominant player in Budapest’s taxi market—has inked a deal with Stellantis (Citroën, Chrysler, Fiat, Opel, Peugeot) to roll out 100,000 self-driving taxis across Europe by 2035, with tests promised to start this year. They’re also eyeing expansion with China’s pony.ai.

Waymo in London in December:

The road ahead will be a long haul

Nagy Elek, owner of Főtaxi, recently admitted his firm is gearing up for autonomous vehicles, expecting them to dominate a big chunk of Budapest’s taxi market within 5-8 years.

Spirit FM quizzed Norbert Váczi, co-chair of the Budapest Taxi Association, who tempered the excitement. Similar prophecies of imminent rollout surfaced a decade ago, he said—and went nowhere. Human drivers still outperform machines in tricky scenarios: sudden disruptions, one-way streets, narrow alleys, official convoys, police roadblocks, or traffic diversions.

A hybrid future for Budapest?

As a trade defender, Váczi stressed his duty to workers amid fierce resistance elsewhere and the EU’s push for bespoke rules. He envisions a hybrid model for Budapest: robotaxis on straightforward, regulated routes, with human drivers handling premium and niche demands. Rollout, though, will be a marathon, demanding laser focus on the plight of small-scale cabbies.

While we wait for the taxi revolution, audio and video recordings may become mandatory in the taxis of the capital.