Waymo And Cruise Win Commercial Taxi License In California

Despite the high concentration of companies developing autopilot for vehicles, California has so far maintained a fairly conservative policy regarding the testing of such machines on state public roads. Still, Waymo and Cruise were allowed this week to start operating self-driving taxis in California by charging passengers a fare.

The corresponding permit, according to Reuters, was issued to both companies subject to certain restrictions on the time and territory of the provision of services, as well as the requirement for the presence of an insurer at the wheel. Previously, test trips were carried out without charging passengers. A subsidiary of GM Cruise is also looking to win permission to operate prototypes of fully automatic cars that do not have the usual controls and do not provide for a safety driver.

Cruise is authorized to operate commercial passenger transportation on selected streets of San Francisco from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am at a speed limit of 48 km/h. Rival Waymo, which is part of the Alphabet holding along with Google, has won the right to carry passengers in automatic taxis in certain areas of San Francisco and San Mateo at speeds up to 104 km / h. Both companies are prohibited from operating in heavy rain or fog. Prior to this, companies tested their prototypes in California without charging passengers. Waymo has also had a similar experience in the Arizona Territory, where it has a long history of transporting customers on a commercial basis.  According to company representatives, in California, tens of thousands of customers wish to use such services.