Robotaxis as public transit? Waymo thinks so

Waymo joins the technological public transport startup via to integrate its autonomous vehicles in the city’s public transport networks, starting with a growing suburb of Phoenix.

In Chandler, Arizona, the Robotaxie de Waymo will soon join the city microtransit flex service. Users reserve rides on the Chandler Flex application to be recovered by a shared vehicle and taken from your destination, often connecting to the Valley metro bus routes. Soon users can be twinned with Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles as part of the service.

The service will take place from Monday to Friday, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with rides reserved by Chandler Flex costing only $ 2 for regular horsemen, $ 1 for the elderly and users of wheelchairs, and free for colleges and high school students. (Waymo recently introduced adolescent accounts in Phoenix so that 14 -year -old children can run without their parents.)

The partnership has the potential opened more passengers to Waymo driverless technology. The residents of Phoenix were able to salute a waymo via Waymo or Uber applications for years now, with rides at the cost of comparison with man -oriented radiography trips. But autonomous walks along a route planned for a low cost and low price price certainly opened the technology to a new population segment.

Chandler Flex operates using the technology developed by VIA, which sells software and operational services to cities, public transport agencies, schools and other establishments that wish to combine carpooling on demand with public transport. VIA software allows public transport managers to create “flexible roads” according to the request for passengers, while complying with the requirements of federal declaration and accessibility, according to the company. If everything is going well, Waymo and via the intention to present a model similar to other cities for their microtransit needs.

But some transport experts fear that autonomous vehicles siphoning of transit runners, which could lead to service discounts. Most carpooling users do not want to transfer to another mode of transport – they just want to go to your destination. And regular public transport users, who tend to be more at low income, have trouble offering many carpooling trips.

The microtransit option is an interesting way to get around some of these traps. And Waymo is not the only one to have this idea. The autonomous driving startup based in Michigan May Mobility also worked with via to connect it with potential runners in Sun City, Arizona, a retirement community outside Phoenix. Its vehicles were free to use throughout the week, although this partnership has since concluded.