Autonomous taxi: agency allows service in San Francisco – 08/11/2023 – Tech

After a controversial vote by a California state agency, Alphabet’s Waymo and General Motors’ Cruze can carry paying passengers day or night in San Francisco, solidifying the city as the center of the autonomous vehicle industry.

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday (10) sided with the companies, in the face of vigorous opposition from some residents and city agencies. Commissioners heard more than six hours of public comment from residents and special interest groups supporting or opposing the move to expand paid autonomous vehicle service.

Companies are now allowed to start paid taxi service across the city at all hours of the day. As a result, they plan to deploy more self-driving cars. The startups collectively have more than 500 autonomous vehicles already in operation.

Before approving the expansion, Commissioner John Reynolds addressed some of the public’s concerns.

“While we don’t yet have the data to judge autonomous vehicles against the bar that humans are setting, I believe in the potential of this technology to increase road safety,” he said.

Cruise and Waymo have been running experimental services limited by time and geographic areas in the city. Neither company indicated on Thursday when they would make 24-hour taxi service a reality, but they promised to do so soon in promotional emails after the vote.

Waymo will be allowed to drive at speeds of up to 105 kilometers per hour and in adverse weather conditions, while Cruise will be limited to 56 kilometers per hour and will not be allowed to drive when the weather does not permit, the commission said.