Uber is launching self-driving car rides in Austin, Texas, through a partnership with Waymo, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology. This collaboration, announced last September, marks Uber’s first step into robotaxi services beyond its traditional human-driven network. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles will be integrated into Uber’s platform, with plans to expand to Atlanta later this year. While Uber will continue offering conventional rides, passengers can opt for Waymo’s self-driving cars by enabling an autonomous vehicle preference in their app settings. Notifications will inform users when a self-driving car is dispatched, with the option to switch to a human-driven vehicle if preferred. Waymo, originally a Google project, has seen significant growth, now averaging 200,000 paid rides weekly, up from 10,000 two years ago. Following Austin and Atlanta, Waymo also plans to launch services in Miami next year via its own app. The partnership highlights Uber’s effort to stay competitive in the evolving transportation landscape, as rivals like Lyft also explore robotaxi services in various cities. Notably, Waymo has maintained a strong safety record, avoiding major incidents that could hinder its progress. — news from The Associated Press
