Google’s self-driving taxi service Waymo has increased significantly in California.
According to the California Department of Vehicle Management (DMV) website, California has expanded Waymo’s self-driving areas, which were only permitted in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, to the entire Bay Area, including Sacramento and the North.
California also increased the number of self-driving licensed areas in Southern California and around Los Angeles to San Diego, the southernmost part of the state.
The vehicles subject to permission are “Jaguar I-PACE,” which Waymo has operated in taxi services, and “Joker RT” vehicles of China’s Geely Automobile, which was recently introduced.
Waymo can operate driverless self-driving vehicles 24 hours a day for testing purposes, and there are no restrictions or separate speed limits depending on weather conditions.
However, in order to start paid transportation services in these areas, a separate driving permit must be obtained from the state Public Works Commission.
“The next destination in the Golden State is San Diego, which is scheduled to start service in the middle of next year,” Waymo said, but did not say when it would start paying transportation outside of San Diego. Earlier, Waymo recently started operating in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, and also started highway driving services in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
The San Francisco Chronicle, a local newspaper, pointed out that the expansion of self-driving licensed areas is the largest in the state’s history, saying, “It could change the movement patterns of areas that have long been struggling with limited public transportation options in Northern California.”
In particular, wine tasting owners and office workers commuting to Sacramento are cheering the decision, the newspaper said.
Waymo’s rival, Amazon’s self-driving taxi “Zoox,” currently serves downtown Las Vegas and San Francisco, while Tesla serves robo-taxi in Austin and San Francisco, Texas.
However, Tesla’s robotaxi still operates with safety personnel on board.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
