What is Waymo CPUC 24/7 Fared Driverless Approval (San Francisco)?

A robotaxi is a self-driving car run as a taxi service, and taking out the human driver could cut costs. In California, before such cars can carry the public, regulators decide where and when they may operate and whether the company may charge for rides. This item is one such decision: on August 10, 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission authorized Waymo LLC and Cruise LLC to run commercial passenger service in San Francisco using driverless vehicles, with the ability to charge fares at any time of day. Before it, Waymo’s permission in the city covered paid rides with a human safety driver on board to step in if needed and unpaid rides without one.

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