Automated, driverless taxi service Waymo will make its way to St. Louis this week with a twist — the taxis will be operated by drivers during its initial launch.
The San Francisco-based service will launch with a fleet of Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles, Waymo announced on Wednesday. At first, drivers will operate the vehicles as the company gets "to know the community” ahead of the official launch.
The company said it will scale its service over time while following its safety framework.
The partnership is a step forward in transit for the region, Missouri Speaker of the House Jon Patterson said in a statement.
“It will offer a safe and reliable transportation option for its residents,” Patterson said. “I look forward to working with Waymo to safely introduce this technology to our communities.”
St. Louis is one of several cities that the company is expanding into. It also announced it is moving into Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Last month, the company expanded its automated driving rides in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and San Antonio.
