Waymo fully driverless robotaxis passengers based in San Francisco might have to pay for their autonomous rides soon.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has finally approved Waymo's permit, allowing it to charge for its driverless services.
Waymo’s Fully Driverless Robotaxis Can Now Charge San Francisco Passengers
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Image)MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - MAY 08: Waymo self-driving vehicles are displayed at the Google I/O 2018 Conference at Shoreline Amphitheater on May 8, 2018 in Mountain View, California. Google's two day developer conference runs through Wednesday May 9.
Waymo's Fully Driverless Robotaxis Can Now Start Charging Customers in San Francisco
As per the latest news story by Tech Crunch, Waymo is eligible to start charging customers for its full driverless services, which no longer includes any driver at all.
It means that customers of the driverless rides of Waymo might soon have to pay for the service.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles, shortly known as the DMV, has upgraded the permit of the Google self-driving project, Waymo.
It means that the self-driving firm could now start asking for payment for their autonomous robot taxi rides, at least in San Francisco.
Waymo's Autonomous Ride in San Francisco
Tech Crunch notes in its report that Waymo has started kicking off its autonomous delivery service in San Francisco starting early this year.
However, the supposedly driverless ride still needed a human safety operator, who needed to sit in the front seat of the autonomous vehicle. It comes as the permit still required such intervention.
Not to mention that the autonomous service has yet to start charging its users during its pilot run.
But in February, Waymo started asking its "trusted testers" to pay for the driverless robotaxi after it gained a California Public Utilities Commission or the CPUC drivered deployment permit.
Waymo’s Fully Driverless Robotaxis Can Now Charge San Francisco Passengers
(Photo : GLENN CHAPMAN/AFP via Getty Images)Waymo self-driving cars with the company logo at the Google-owned company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, on May 8, 2019.
Meanwhile, according to a recent report by The Verge, the robotaxis of Waymo have started rolling out passenger trips in Phoenix. Its driverless rides are now ushering passenger trips to the Phoenix airport.
And this time, the autonomous vehicle firm can now start charging its customers in San Francisco.
But Only for Deliveries?
However, it is worth noting that the new permit only allows Waymo to start charging its customers for driverless food or grocery deliveries.
The upgraded permit essentially allows Waymo to ask its customers to pay for their fully driverless delivery service. It no longer has any driver seated in the front seat of the autonomous vehicle.
But if Waymo is looking to charge San Francisco passengers for its driverless service, it still needs to apply for a permit from the CPUC.
And from there, the Google-owned firm could also start asking their San Francisco passengers to pay for the driverless service.
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Written by Teejay Boris
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