SANTA MONICA, CA — Motorists should expect more driverless cars on Santa Monica’s streets after Waymo recently expanded its robotaxi operations in the city.
Waymo One on Thursday officially began operations in Los Angeles County Thursday after operating on a test basis in the area since October.
Since October, the company has completed 15,000 rides in its 63-square-mile LA service area, which stretches from Santa Monica east to downtown LA, according to Waymo.
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The ride-hailing service — which operates much like Uber or Lyft, but without a human driver — is now available through a waitlist. There are about 50,000 people on the LA waitlist, according to the company.
Rides will be free initially, but will be transitioned to a paid service open to all in the coming weeks, the company said.
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Waymo’s LA operation comes two weeks after the California Public Utilities Commission approved the expansion in a decision that once again overrode the concerns of city transportation officials about robotaxis coming to sudden stops that block roads and the potential for driverless vehicles to malfunction in more serious ways that could jeopardize lives.
The worst fears about robotaxis were realized in San Francisco last October when a vehicle operated by Cruise, a driverless ride-hailing service owned by General Motors, dragged a pedestrian who was hit by another car operated by a human for 20 feet while traveling at roughly 7 mph before coming to a stop. The incident resulted in California regulators suspending Cruise’s state license and triggered a massive shakeup at that service.
The company is already operating in San Francisco and Phoenix and also recently expanded in Austin.
To sign up and learn more, visit Waymo’s website.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.
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