Self-driving company Cruise has worked tirelessly to bring its autonomous taxi service to the public, and now it’s finally here. This week, Cruise received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and can bill actual customers for driverless rides.
While GM-backed Cruise received restricted approval to continue testing the service alongside Waymo back in February, this latest approval changed everything. Cruise says it is now the “first and only company to operate a commercial driverless ridesharing service in a major US city.”
The company originally intended to release its service by 2019, which obviously didn’t happen, but now if you live in San Francisco, you can give it a try. There are still limits, mind you, but it’s a start.
According to Cruise, 30 all-electric vehicles will be deployed on legal roads throughout San Francisco between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, smoke or snow will cause the service to be suspended until conditions improve.
As long as you are in an eligible location during operating hours, you can hail the self-driving taxi, pay for a ride, and take a ride. It looks like the company will gradually roll out the rides to certain areas over the next few weeks to ensure the process goes smoothly.
This is essential for autonomous ridesharing services, but it’s important to remember that it’s only available in one city during select times with optimal weather conditions. On the other hand, these limitations can be removed over time as technology improves. Give it a try by signing up on the Cruise website.
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