The California Public Utilities Commission has granted Alphabet’s self-driving car division, Waymo, permission to expand its robotaxi service to include highways in various cities in the Bay Area and large areas of Los Angeles. This decision comes amidst concerns about the impact of more driverless cars on city streets.
Waymo’s robotaxis will now be able to operate on local roads and freeways at speeds up to 65 mph. Although the company does not currently have immediate plans to expand its service to highways, this ruling marks a significant expansion for Waymo, which has been offering its robotaxi service in San Francisco and Phoenix for some time.
The decision faced opposition from local officials, particularly in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties, who expressed concerns about the potential adverse impacts of the expansion. Despite this opposition, the CPUC deemed that Waymo had complied with the necessary requirements and could expand immediately.
Support for Waymo’s Technology also came from various groups in California, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Bicycle Coalition. These groups see autonomous driving technology as a way to improve road safety by eliminating human error.
However, concerns about driverless cars are likely to persist in California following several incidents involving Waymo vehicles. Despite these incidents not resulting in major injuries, they have raised safety concerns among public officials.
Waymo expressed gratitude to the CPUC for the approval of their operations and expressed excitement about bringing fully autonomous ride-hailing benefits to more people. With over 15,000 rides already completed in LA, Waymo looks forward to expanding its service further.
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