Cruise, Waymo Robotaxis Can Now Work 24/7 in San Francisco

In a significant move towards driverless commercial passenger services, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted additional operating authority to Cruise and Waymo.

As of today, both companies can now offer commercial passenger rides using autonomous vehicles in San Francisco and charge fares at any time of the day.

This approval came after both Cruise and Waymo adhered to the CPUC Decision adopted in 2020. This stipulates that companies seeking to provide passenger carrier services using autonomous vehicles should submit an Advice Letter, especially when introducing significant changes to their services, especially those influencing passenger safety measures.

Before this approval:

• Cruise had the authorization to provide fared passenger services in certain areas of San Francisco between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a safety driver. They could also operate fared services throughout the city anytime with a safety driver and non-fared services without a safety driver.
• Waymo could offer fared services citywide with a safety driver and non-fared services without one. They were also approved to run non-fared passenger services in some Los Angeles areas and around Mountain View, with or without a safety driver.

Both companies are also holders of the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program Permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a mandatory requirement for AV deployment.

This is different from the CPUC’s permit, which is specifically for companies using autonomous vehicles to serve the public. For a company to be part of the CPUC’s AV programs, they must also maintain their DMV AV permit in good standing.

CPUC Commissioner John Reynolds commented on the development, expressing optimism about the potential of autonomous vehicles to enhance road safety. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between industry stakeholders and the first responder community to navigate challenges in this pioneering tech domain.

“Today’s permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, in a statement. “We’re incredibly grateful for this vote of confidence from the CPUC, and to the communities and riders who have supported our service. We can’t wait for more San Franciscans to experience the mobility, safety, sustainability and accessibility benefits of full autonomy for themselves — all at the touch of a button.”

Waymo says they have over 100,000 signups and counting on their waitlist.

“Thrilled to announce that the California Public Utilities Commission just approved @Cruise for fared operation 24/7 across all of San Francisco!” said Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt.

“It’s a huge milestone for the AV industry, but even more importantly a signal to the country that CA prioritizes progress over our tragic status quo,” he said.

To ensure passenger safety, applicants for the Driverless Pilot Program and the Driverless Phase I Deployment Program must provide detailed Passenger Safety Plans. The issued permits are publicly accessible on the CPUC website.