Waymo is planning to expand in Philadelphia, bringing the city its first fleet of self-driving taxis, writes Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS Philadelphia.
Waymo announced that Philadelphia will join over a dozen cities that are planned for future robotaxi deployments. These will add to the five cities where it already operates: Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin.
The company started testing its white Jaguar i-Pace EVs on Philadelphia streets this summer with a human driver behind the wheel. Waymo has since advanced to autonomous operation, with a trained specialist on board as it prepares for fully driverless service.
Under Pennsylvania state rules, autonomous vehicles are permitted on public streets both with and without a safety driver, which is not the case in many other states. In Philadelphia, however, Waymo is currently licensed to operate autonomously only with a human driver on board.
Alexis Campbell, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, stated that no company is currently operating fully autonomous vehicles in the state, and the agency has not received any applications for this change.
Philadelphia Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr., vice chairman of the transportation committee, suggested that the city should embrace autonomous-vehicle technology, commenting, “we are not known to be some of the safest drivers in the country.”
Read more about Waymo and its Philadelphia expansion plans in AXIOS Philadelphia.
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