Cruise company can now charge for robotic taxi rides in San Francisco.
A major goal for the development of autonomous driving has begun: the commercialization of research. That for GM Startup Cruise Automation has received permission from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to charge for its services.
Of the Cruise-Robot taxi service will operate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on certain routes in san francisco run. For example, the city center is not a traffic area. The maximum speed of the 30 vehicles allowed is 30 mph, which is around 50 kilometers per hour.
Cruise has been touring the city since 2020. People have been transported since 2021 and since 2022 Cruise has been allowed to do so without on-board personnel. Now Cruise is the only company in the industry allowed to offer a commercial service in San Francisco. Also Waymo may lately fees raise, but in another city.
Cruise is now in full swing and wants to consider other cities as well. In addition, they also want to enlarge the fleets. You need a permit for this DMV. This permission is viewed with skepticism, not least because of the approach to picking up and dropping off passengers. Because the vehicles stay in the lane when there is not enough space. This could not only be for traffic, but also for rescuers, disabled people, older and cyclists be dangerous.
As such, the city has presented a list of recommendations for the CPUC to incorporate into its decision. These include that fleet expansion should only be done with new and purpose-built vehicles and that Cruise’s operating area should be published. Overall, the wait-and-see strategy has been criticized, especially since the decision sets a precedent.
Furthermore, one demands a processing of the accidents and the question of whether there was a criminal prosecution and it should be more barrier-free. Cruise is also said to be posting more operational data on the website.