Waymo trials commercial driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona

Waymo has launched a driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona, where riders will be charged for the journeys they take. In a blog post, CEO John Krafcik says the commercial self-driving service – called Waymo One - is available to early riders who have already been using Waymo’s technology. The company hopes to make the service available to more members of the public as it adds more vehicles and drives in more places, he writes. “Self-driving technology is new to many, so we’re proceeding carefully wi
December 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

8621 Waymo has launched a driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona, where riders will be charged for the journeys they take.

In a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external blog post false https://medium.com/waymo/waymo-one-the-next-step-on-our-self-driving-journey-6d0c075b0e9b false false%>, CEO John Krafcik says the commercial self-driving service – called Waymo One - is available to early riders who have already been using Waymo’s technology. The company hopes to make the service available to more members of the public as it adds more vehicles and drives in more places, he writes.

“Self-driving technology is new to many, so we’re proceeding carefully with the comfort and convenience of our riders in mind,” Krafcik adds.

A report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Reuters false https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-waymo-selfdriving-focus/waymo-unveils-self-driving-taxi-service-in-arizona-for-paying-customers-idUKKBN1O41M2 false false%> says the service will operate in a 100-mile zone in Chandler, Tempe, Mesa and Gilbert.

The news agency took a trip but says its Waymo One taxi “proved slow and jerky at times” and was slightly more expensive than existing taxi options.

“For now, pricing is roughly in line with that of Uber and Lyft. A 15-minute, 3-mile (4.8 km) drive taken by Reuters last week cost $7.59, just above the $7.22 offered by Lyft,” Reuters adds.

Riders can hail taxis by downloading the company app and providing a credit card number. A human driver remains in the driver’s seat to take control in emergency situations.

Last month, Waymo was granted a licence to test fully-driverless cars on %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external public roads false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/waymo-gets-california-green-light-for-public-driverless-tests/ false false%> in California.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Enterprise CarShare brings service to University of Delaware
    December 19, 2018
    Enterprise CarShare has launched a short-term car rental service aimed at University of Delaware (UD) students and staff. Delaware is the latest campus to sign up for the service, which targets people who typically need a vehicle for just a few hours. Richard Rind, UD’s director of auxiliary services, says: “Many UD students and community members don’t have access to a car to take them where they need to go.” The service, part of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, will initially cost UD members $5 per hour which in
    Read More
  • New York green light to re-signal subways
    October 18, 2019
    New York’s authorities are to solicit proposals for re-signalling the city’s subways. The move comes hot on the heels of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s proposal to invest $51.5 billion in the city’s subways, buses and railroads over the next five years. Rachel Haot, executive director of the Transit Innovation Partnership, a public-private initiative between the MTA and the Partnership for New York City, says: “The MTA deserves credit for stabilising the system over the last year but tr
    Read More
  • Logging on to public transport
    November 15, 2012
    Cape Town’s public transport commuters can now use their cell phones to access real-time timetables and plan their routes, whether they are travelling by train, taxi, MyCiTi buses or the city’s Golden Arrow Bus service. FindMyWay is a free public service website that brings together all the modes of transport within the city, so that commuters can easily access the information in one place. Logging on to www.findmyway.mobi and www.gometro.co.za from a cell phone with an internet connection gives commuters
    Read More
  • Agendum changes name as it moves into smart cities solutions
    April 5, 2019
    Enforcement systems specialist Agendum has rebranded to Parkius as it prepares to expand its services to include smart city solutions. Agendum says users of its parking solution can then use smart data services for monitoring and predicting traffic and parking intensity or inspect traffic signs, street furniture or other objects in the public space. The company’s new website is www.parkius.io
    Read More

Highlighted Content