Taylor Rains/Insider
- Cruise and Waymo got the go-ahead from state officials Thursday to offer driverless rides 24/7.
- The California Public Utilities Commission's decision will let them expand their robotaxi services.
- Until Thursday, they could only operate within limited areas and times and not charge fares.
Robotaxi companies Cruise and Waymo have been given the go-ahead from state officials to offer driverless rides in San Francisco at any hour of the day.
The California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to allow the autonomous vehicle operators to charge passengers for rides and roam the streets 24/7.
The CPUC said in a press release that it approved the resolution to allow Cruise and Waymo to expand its driverless taxi service.
"It's a huge milestone for the AV industry, but even more importantly a signal to the country that CA prioritizes progress over our tragic status quo," Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt said in a tweet.
Before it got the green light from officials, Cruise and Waymo had been authorized to offer its services from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m in limited areas of San Francisco. However, it wasn't able to charge for trips without a driver on trips at any time.
Waymo also had permission to offer its driverless services in parts of Los Angeles and around Mountain View, per the CPUC statement.
"Today's permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a blog post.
CPUC commissioners nudged the companies at a hearing, which lasted more than six hours, to address concerns from residents about the driverless cars causing issues such as blocking emergency services vehicles and causing congestion on roads, The Verge reported.
Commissioner Darcie Houck said the CPUC could walk back on the permits it's granted Cruise and Waymo or limit the number of autonomous vehicles allowed to operate if further incidents arise, per The Verge.
San Francisco firefighters were forced to smash the front window of a Cruise driverless taxi in January to stop it from running over their hoses as they were engaged in active firefighting.
A letter sent by the city's transport officials in January to the CPUC said a similar incident occurred in June 2022 when a Cruise vehicle ran over a fire hose that was being used to put out a fire.
The CPUC said Cruise and Waymo satisfied the concerns raised and met its regulatory framework requirements for autonomous vehicles.
"While we do not yet have the data to judge AVs against the standard human drivers are setting, I do believe in the potential of this technology to increase safety on the roadway," CPUC commissioner John Reynolds said. "Collaboration between key stakeholders in the industry and the first responder community will be vital in resolving issues as they arise in this innovative, emerging technology space."
Cruise and Waymo didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of normal working hours.