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Fully Autonomous taxis take to the San Francisco streets

By Tom Gibson | October 4, 2022

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One BBC journalist hopped in for a ride to help promote the experience, but it didn’t all go to plan

Fully Autonomous taxis take to the San Francisco streets

Members of the US public can now use fully autonomous taxis after Cruise, the company behind the cabs, released a fleet of around 100 vehicles to take passengers from A to B.

A BBC journalist was one of a handful there for the launch but wasn’t too impressed with the concept – which although out on the roads is apparently still in ‘test’ phase – comparing the experience to ‘bad driving’ on BBC Breakfast this morning.

This was after the completely driverless taxi failed to navigate a bus that was re-joining the road having stopped to pick up passengers.

Despite there being a clear lane ahead, the taxi essentially panicked and stopped.

Cruise runs a service similar to Uber – in which users download an app and request a pick up – between 10pm and 5.30am whilst roads are quieter - using driverless Chevrolet Bolts that are powered by AI software and scores of sensors.

The company requested permission to expand its fleet by as much as 50 times in a bid to reach $1bn of revenue before 2025 by the San Fran authorities have highlighted numerous concerns in a 36-page response that has, so far at least, put the brakes on the expansion.

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