Waymo brings self-driving taxis to San Francisco – with a catch

A safety operator is seen in the front seat of a self-driving Waymo vehicle in San Francisco, California, on Aug 20, 2021. — Reuters

Alphabet Inc’s Waymo will offer rides in its autonomous vehicles to select passengers in San Francisco, marking its second launch of a taxi service and a hint of the company’s commercial ambitions.

Waymo began ferrying passengers last fall in suburban Phoenix in fully driverless cars – a landmark achievement for a technology that’s long been hyped in Silicon Valley and Detroit. The company said it has provided “tens of thousands” of rides there.