Waymo robotaxi service is opening its doors to all in San Francisco, removing the previous requirement of signing up for a waitlist. The service is similar to the ones offered in Phoenix since 2020.
The expansion shows the Alphabet-owned company is confident in its services despite recent public and federal scrutiny and accidents involving driverless vehicles, including GM’s self-driving taxi Cruise.
Waymo was probed by the US Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month.
Waymo also recalled software in all its cars after a crash incident this month.
But letting more people use the service is crucial for the robotaxi to make money, considering Google’s parent Alphabet has spent billions developing it for the past 15 years.
That said, Waymo must ensure they have enough cars to meet demand and can compete with regular services like Uber and Lyft.