Uber is sending a fleet of cars to map the streets of London

Uber says it has deployed a fleet of mapping cars in London to help it understand the best pickup and dropoff points.

The cars will drive around the capital and record visual information on its streets. The company says it's going to look for information on which spots are best for its cars to pick up or drop off passengers, as well as traffic information, and better routes.

Uber says it's also going to deploy mapping cars in other UK cities in the coming weeks and months.

Of course, the cars will also help Uber in its mission to build a fleet of self-driving taxis in the future. It recently trialled a fleet of self-driving taxis in the US.

Uber has also announced that its scheduled rides feature, which it announced in August, has been used "tens of thousands" of times in London, and will now be launched in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.