Waymo has launched a robotaxi service in Miami, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 22 local time.
Waymo plans to expand the service in stages based on a waitlist of 10,000 people.
The initial operating area covers 60 square miles, including the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell and Coral Gables, and is expected to extend to Miami International Airport. The timing of the airport launch has not been disclosed.
Waymo has tested self-driving vehicles on Miami roads since last year and has operated vehicles without safety drivers since November. The Miami service is its fifth expansion after Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Waymo plans to expand the service to 12 cities within the next year, including Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, London, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Waymo's robotaxi service has also drawn controversy in some cities for causing traffic congestion. In December last year, during a power outage in San Francisco, criticism emerged that Waymo vehicles worsened traffic jams.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr