Driverless cars win expansion in San Francisco

After several delays, much debate, and a voting meeting that involved more than six hours of public comment, San Francisco’s driverless-taxi companies took home a win yesterday when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 3 to 1 in favor of expanding passenger services in the city.

Google-owned Waymo and GM-owned Cruise have been operating in San Francisco with certain limitations, but both companies now have permission to charge for rides 24/7 anywhere in the city.

Previously, Cruise’s unmanned, fared rides were restricted to certain parts of the city between 10pm and 6am. Waymo wasn’t permitted to charge for unmanned rides, but could offer non-fared driverless services anywhere in the city (check out Tech Brew’s Waymo experience here).

“While we do not yet have the data to judge AVs against the standard human drivers are setting, I do believe in the potential of this technology to increase safety on the roadway,” CPUC commissioner John Reynolds said in a statement. “Collaboration between key stakeholders in the industry and the first responder community will be vital in resolving issues as they arise in this innovative, emerging technology space.”

The commission’s decision to expand driverless-taxi services comes despite heavy opposition, including from first responders and public interest groups, who say autonomous vehicles just aren’t ready for prime time.

Waymo, which says it has a waitlist of more than 100,000, said it would expand slowly.

“To ensure riders receive a reliable service and our expansion is gradual, we’ll be welcoming new riders to Waymo One incrementally,” the company said in a blog post.

“We’ll continue to work closely with policymakers, regulators, first responders, advocates for road safety, and the cities in which we operate to ensure our service has a positive impact on mobility and the community overall.”