Waymo may operate AVs in Phoenix ‘without safety driver’

Ride-hailing company 8621 Waymo may be about to start operating fully-autonomous vehicles (AVs) to pick people up - without a safety driver.

An email sent to users, which appeared on %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Reddit false https://www.reddit.com/r/SelfDrivingCars/comments/dflcan/waymo_email_to_customers_completely_driverless/ false false%>, said people in Phoenix, Arizona, who were matched with an AV will see a notification in the app that confirms the car will not have a trained driver.

Users can tap a ‘What to Expect’ button within the app to learn more about the AVs. They can also communicate with a rider support agent at any part of the trip via the app or the car’s help button, the company adds. Earlier this year, Waymo %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external deployed false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/waymo-and-lyft-bring-more-avs-to-phoenix/ false false%>10 AVs on 8789 Lyft’s platform to operate in the Metro Phoenix area.

In a separate announcement, the company said via %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Twitter false https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1181240275642961920 false false%>that it has deployed AVs in Los Angeles to explore “how Waymo’s tech might fit into LA’s dynamic transportation environment”.