FILE PHOTO: A Waymo rider-only robotaxi is seen during a test ride in San Francisco, California, U.S., December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File Photo
(Reuters) -Alphabet-owned Waymo on Wednesday rolled out "Waymo for Business," a corporate program that lets companies set up accounts so employees can hail its robotaxis in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin and Atlanta.
The move targets recurring corporate travel, giving employers controls over where, when and how staff use autonomous rides, as Waymo broadens commercial uses for its driverless fleet.
Waymo said it completes more than 1 million rides a month and that nearly one in six local riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix uses the service to commute.
The company has ramped up service in recent months, expanding paid, driverless rides to Atlanta and expanding coverage in Austin.
An admin portal lets organizations manage users, create promo codes and pull reports to track ride activity and budgets, Waymo said.
Early customers include Phoenix-based online used-car seller Carvana.
The Mountain View, California-based company said the business product is in its early stages and will gain more features over time to support organizations of different sizes.
Waymo has been focusing on airport access to woo frequent business travelers. The company already serves Phoenix Sky Harbor and this month won approval to operate at San José Mineta International Airport. San Francisco International Airport has granted a testing permit ahead of potential commercial service, Waymo said.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
