Google-owned Waymo is bringing driverless taxis to the US capital
What's the story
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is introducing its driverless ride-hailing service Waymo One in Washington DC by 2026.
However, the company has a major hurdle to overcome - existing city laws that mandate autonomous vehicles to have a safety driver at all times.
This legislation will have to be amended before fully autonomous cars can hit the public roads in the US capital.
Testing phase
Autonomous vehicles have been operating in DC
Waymo has been testing its manually driven vehicles in different neighborhoods across DC since last year. Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, and Penn Quarter have been the main focus for these trials.
However, the company has not revealed which neighborhoods would be included when it launches.
Despite the challenges, Waymo is still committed to introducing its robotaxi service in Washington DC by next year.
Regulatory hurdles
Challenges in launching robotaxi service
Launching a robotaxi service in Washington DC comes with its own challenges, considering the city's complicated transportation problems and high levels of traffic congestion.
The federal government has mostly left it to individual states to formulate their own regulations for safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.
Waymo already runs its driverless ride-hailing cars in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, and plans to expand into Atlanta (in partnership with Uber), Miami, and Washington DC.
Expansion strategy
Collaboration with Uber and future plans
Waymo has partnered with Uber to bring its driverless service to Austin, Texas, and plans to expand the same to Atlanta later this year.
In Washington DC, customers will use Waymo One app for booking driverless rides. The company already offers 200,000 passenger trips weekly through this app.
However, it's worth noting these robotaxis won't serve any of the region's airports initially due to lack of permits for crossing into Maryland or Virginia.
Safety measures
Commitment to safety and community engagement
Waymo has been testing its vehicles in DC for some time and intends to "continue introducing ourselves to DC's communities and emergency responders over the coming months."
The company pitches itself as a safer alternative to human-driven cars, referring to insurance data which shows its vehicles cause less property damage and bodily injuries when they crash as compared to human drivers.
This commitment highlights Waymo's dedication not just toward technological advancement but also community safety.