Waymo gets green light in California to pick up passengers in self-driving cars

Waymo was awarded a permit by the California Public Utilities Commission to take part in the state’s autonomous vehicle passenger service pilot program — though it may not charge riders, and a human safety driver must remain behind the wheel. The permit brings the Alphabet company one step closer to launching a robot taxi service in its home state.
Waymo is the fourth company to participate in the pilot program, following Zoox, Autox Technologies, and Pony.ai. The permit is good for three years but is separate from California’s autonomous vehicle testing program. Over 60 companies have permits from the DMV to test self-driving cars in the state.
Waymo claims there is no timetable to launch a commercial ride-hailing service in…

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