The self-driving car company Waymo has received its Transportation network Company permit from ADOT, which will allow the company to operate as a vehicle for hire in Arizona.
Waymo could now start charging members of the public for rides much like Uber, Lyft and other cab companies. Waymo, which is a Google spin-off, mentioned late last year that it would start inviting the public into its autonomous vehicles through a commercial service here in Arizona this year.
“As we continue to test drive our fleet of vehicles in greater Phoenix, we’re taking all the steps necessary to launch our commercial service this year,” said a Waymo spokesperson in a statement.
During the most recent earnings call for Alphabet, Google and Waymo’s parent company, Alphabet and Google CFO Ruth Porat talked about Waymo’s recent successes, like Waymo being the first company to have completely autonomous vehicles on public roads.
Porat said Waymo is expanding its testing into other cities beyond Phoenix and other locations where it has already been testing its cars.
“We do continue to explore a range of options beyond the program we’re piloting in Phoenix, including, you know, ride sharing and personal use vehicles and logistics, deliveries, and working with cities to help them address public transportation objectives,” Porat said.
