Waymo Is Now Allowed to Carry Passengers in Its Self-driving Cars in California
Waymo has received a permit to carry passengers in its self-driving vehicles in California. The permit, which was issued by the California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday, allows Waymo to carry passengers in autonomous vehicles on California highways, though the Google spinoff cannot charge them for rides, and the vehicles must have a safety driver behind the wheel.
Waymo is the fourth company to receive California’s autonomous-vehicle pilot permit, after Zoox, AutoX Technologies, and Pony.ai. Seen by many experts as the leader in the autonomous-vehicle industry, Waymo launched the first commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in the United States, Waymo One, in parts of Arizona in 2018.
Waymo is also testing autonomous vehicles in Washington, Texas, Michigan, and Georgia.
