Waymo begins service at San Francisco International Airport
As fans and media prepare to descend on the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX, what is a high-tech city like San Francisco doing? Well, call robotaxis, of course. Alphabet’s Waymo began offering fully autonomous rides at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Thursday.
There are certain limits. For now, access to the SFO is limited to “a select number of riders.” However, access will gradually expand over the coming months. Service is also limited to SFO Rental Car Center (pick-up and drop-off) at launch. Waymo says it will expand to other airports, including terminals, “in the future.”
The San Francisco Standard notes that SFO is now the third airport in Waymo’s directory. The San Francisco launch follows the company’s service in Phoenix Sky Harbor and San Jose Mineta. As for the Bay Area, Waymo now serves more than 260 square miles in the region.
Unfortunately, this isn’t Waymo’s only appearance in the news this week. On Wednesday, the company said one of its robo-taxis hit a child, who was slightly injured. The events took place on January 23 in Santa Monica. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation.
