Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s self-driving unit, has obtained its first permission to test-run autonomous vehicles in New York City, Fox Business reported.
California-based Waymo operates approximately 1,500 vehicles and has more than 10 million rides in five U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin.
The permit from New York City will allow Waymo to test drive up to eight self-driving cars in parts of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.
However, safety regulations must be observed and a trained self-driving professional must be in the driver’s seat.
Under New York State law, while autonomous driving technology is in operation, vehicles that are being tested must always have a driver on board and be prepared to control the vehicle.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the announcement another step toward moving New York City further into the 21st century, stressing that “as we continue to innovate with responsibility, we will always put street safety first.”
Earlier in 2021, Waymo deployed vehicles to Manhattan to collect and test data based on manual driving.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
