Waymo, Cruise Can Now Operate Paid Driverless Rides 24/7 in San Francisco

pcmag.com:

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday voted 3-1 to allow Waymo and Cruise to offer driverless rides to passengers around-the-clock, as well as collect fares.

The CPUC gave Waymo the green light to operate without someone in the driver's seat in November 2022. Cruise launched daytime driverless rides around the same time. But they couldn't charge for the rides and there were limits on when and where the cars could drive.

Now, the floodgates have opened and an estimated 500 driverless vehicles will compete with rideshare companies, taxis, and other forms of public transportation.

A few limitations will remain in place. Waymo vehicles can only drive up to 65 miles per hour, but they are permitted in inclement weather. Cruise vehicles must stay under 35mph and only in good weather, Reuters reports.

Kyle Vogt, CEO and co-founder of Cruise, calls the ruling a "huge milestone for the AV industry, but even more importantly a signal to the country that CA prioritizes progress over our tragic status quo," referring to the high number of traffic accidents in San Francisco.

Waymo also heralded the news as a win for public safety. "There’s a critical need to improve the safety of our roads. Nearly 43,000 people died on US roads in 2022—an average of 117 per day," reads a company blog post. "Early data indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where we operate."

Waymo says it will "begin charging fares for rider-only trips in the city and gradually welcoming more riders" into its Waymo One service "in the coming weeks." It didn't specify how much those rides will cost, but a 10-mile driverless Waymo journey in Arizona last month cost MakeUseOf about $20,