Waymo Starts Robotaxi Trials In San Francisco, But Operators Still Needed

Sam Kansara, senior product manager at Waymo, admits that autonomous vehicles are rolling out more slowly than imagined. (photo: youtube screenshot)

JAKARTA - Alphabet Inc's Waymo has started taking some San Francisco residents in self-driving sports vehicles and hopes to open up robotaxi to everyone in the city in less than three years.

Waymo's announcement on Tuesday, August 24 about its status and plans in San Francisco is very important. The city is very challenging for robotaxi, because the roads are contoured hills, there are many narrow streets, bicycles, and busy electric trams on the city streets.

The electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV will serve the western and southern parts of the city that are more likely to be passengers, including Richmond and Bernal Heights. This Robotaxi still has the Operator in the driver's seat with hands on knees, but is prepared to drive in an emergency.

Anyone can sign up for Waymo's ride-hailing app, though the company chooses for itself who to take with the list expected to grow gradually to hundreds of people. Waymo forbids them from discussing travel in public.

Sam Kansara, senior product manager at Waymo, admits that autonomous vehicles are rolling out later than Waymo and many of its competitors initially imagined.

"There's still a lot to be done," Kansara said. "This is a step to start now getting more information so we can inform our roadmap."

Companies want feedback from people with different travel backgrounds and needs. It is expected that many motorists will consider the challenge of skipping due to San Francisco's limited sidewalk space and rampant double parking.

“Employees who drive in the city since February give the company confidence to expand to the public,” said Kansara.

Waymo last October in the first deployment in the United States for the industry began allowing anyone to purchase a vehicle in a driverless Chrysler Pacifica minivan in several suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona.

The launch followed three years of testing, but Kansara said he hopes the lessons from the experience will lead to faster progress in San Francisco.