San Francisco (The Hawk): In the upcoming weeks, Google's self-driving division Waymo will launch a test programme for driverless rides in San Francisco.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has granted the firm a permit for its driverless pilot programme, allowing autonomous vehicle (AV) companies to transport people in test AVs without a driver, according to The Verge.
Self-driving vehicles still cannot charge for rides, though.
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has previously given Waymo permission to charge for autonomous journeys. To formally launch its driverless service, it simply has to receive CPUC authorization for driverless deployment.
The business apparently intended to begin providing rides in San Francisco in March of this year in completely autonomous vehicles without human safety drivers at the wheel.
The Google offshoot had stated that while its driverless cars were currently only available to staff, the programme for "Trusted Testers" would soon be expanded to include customers as well.
(Inputs from Agencies)