California's DMV has given the green light to Waymo, a company behind self-driving taxis, to expand its services across the Bay Area and beyond.
The approval means that Waymo's driverless taxis will now be able to operate in the North Bay, East Bay, and as far east as Sacramento. Currently, the robotaxis are only available from San Francisco down to the South Bay. However, users won't be able to hail a ride from one side of the bay to the other just yet.
According to Ahmed Banafa, a tech expert at San Jose State University, this approval is a significant milestone for Waymo, which aims to provide fully autonomous transportation across California. "This is confirming that California is the cradle for technology," he said. "This kind of technology should expand here and people should get a taste of driverless or robotaxis."
However, Banafa also warned that expanding services won't be without its challenges. "There are so many challenges they're going to face. Scaling up their manufacturing workforce, modifying many cars... It's coming to the whole state," he said.
Another concern is safety, with one high-profile incident already making headlines. Waymo has assured regulators and riders alike that its services will continue to prioritize safety.
Meanwhile, residents in Alameda have mixed feelings about using Waymo's robotaxis. While some people see it as a convenient option for the future of transportation, others are more skeptical due to concerns over safety.
"I think I'll be too skeptical to use it because something could happen," said Courtney Lewis from Alameda. "No, I wouldn't use it. I just don't think I would."
However, Teira Starling, another resident, expressed her interest in seeing the robotaxis operate without human drivers. "I think it's cool," she said. "I think I won't use it, but I would like to see it passing with nobody driving in it."
Waymo hasn't specified when its service will start operating in these new areas, as they still need to go through the California Public Utilities Commission to set ride rates.
The approval means that Waymo's driverless taxis will now be able to operate in the North Bay, East Bay, and as far east as Sacramento. Currently, the robotaxis are only available from San Francisco down to the South Bay. However, users won't be able to hail a ride from one side of the bay to the other just yet.
According to Ahmed Banafa, a tech expert at San Jose State University, this approval is a significant milestone for Waymo, which aims to provide fully autonomous transportation across California. "This is confirming that California is the cradle for technology," he said. "This kind of technology should expand here and people should get a taste of driverless or robotaxis."
However, Banafa also warned that expanding services won't be without its challenges. "There are so many challenges they're going to face. Scaling up their manufacturing workforce, modifying many cars... It's coming to the whole state," he said.
Another concern is safety, with one high-profile incident already making headlines. Waymo has assured regulators and riders alike that its services will continue to prioritize safety.
Meanwhile, residents in Alameda have mixed feelings about using Waymo's robotaxis. While some people see it as a convenient option for the future of transportation, others are more skeptical due to concerns over safety.
"I think I'll be too skeptical to use it because something could happen," said Courtney Lewis from Alameda. "No, I wouldn't use it. I just don't think I would."
However, Teira Starling, another resident, expressed her interest in seeing the robotaxis operate without human drivers. "I think it's cool," she said. "I think I won't use it, but I would like to see it passing with nobody driving in it."
Waymo hasn't specified when its service will start operating in these new areas, as they still need to go through the California Public Utilities Commission to set ride rates.
! Self-driving taxis are the future, right? Like, think about it - no more traffic jams or parking headaches... But for real though, I gotta say I'm a bit concerned about safety 
. We've already seen some issues pop up with Waymo's service, and while they're assuring us that everything is under control, you can't help but wonder what could go wrong.
But others, like Courtney from Alameda, are straight up skeptical 
. And that's totally understandable. We're not exactly ready for this level of tech just yet.
Waymo's taking the lead on this autonomous transportation thing, and if they can make it work, we might just see a whole new era of transportation 
! So here's to innovation - let's hope they keep pushing the boundaries without putting anyone's safety at risk 
.
so waymo's finally getting a green light to expand its robotaxis services across cali... about time 
i mean, who needs human drivers when you've got fancy algorithms and sensors, right? 
but seriously, the biggest challenge they'll face is probably scaling up their manufacturing workforce without screwing it up. like, how do you mass-produce self-driving cars without losing your mind? 
also, what's with the "california is the cradle for technology" thing? sounds like a fancy way of saying "we're the cool kids now, bow down" 
I'm so late to this thread but I just saw that Waymo is finally expanding its services across the Bay Area and beyond 
. As someone who's been following this stuff for a while, it feels like we're finally getting closer to making autonomous taxis a thing 
.
. But at the same time, it's cool that people like Teira are stoked about the idea of autonomous taxis 
, but also acknowledge that there are some tough hurdles to clear before we can start hailing robotaxis left and right 
. Just imagine being able to hop in a car without having to worry about human error 
. But, on the other hand, we gotta acknowledge the risks and challenges that come with this tech 
. And, let's not forget about safety concerns 
. Until then, I'll stick to my daily bus rides 
. How about you? Are you Team Robotaxi or Team Human Driver? 