Waymo seeks license to operate driverless service in Los Angeles

"We’ve applied to [California Public Utilities Commission] to extend our driverless deployment service to include LA," Waymo says
A representational image. — Unsplash
A representational image. — Unsplash

Alphabet Inc’s autonomous driving unit, Waymo, has sought a license to expand its driverless service in Los Angeles from the California Public Utilities Commission.

The company, which operates extensively in San Francisco, has applied for a license to be able to fully operate its fleet in Los Angeles and it has also started testing rides in California’s largest city.

Confirming the news on X (formerly named Twitter), Waymo wrote: “We’ve applied to the @californiapuc [California Public Utilities Commission] to extend our driverless deployment service to include LA, and we’ll continue our work w/ local policymakers, first responders & community organizations there. Angelenos, join us for a ride!”

It was further learnt that Waymo would begin testing its fully autonomous passenger cars without a human driver this month on freeways in Phoenix, Arizona.

Among other plans, Waymo also aims to operate in Austin, Texas.

It should be noted that following strict scrutiny of autonomous driving software, Alphabet Inc’s firm pushed back its efforts to develop a commercial autonomous trucking technology.

Following an accident in the US last year, General Motors’ Cruise driverless car unit has also paused all supervised and manual car trips.