Uber recently introduced driverless vehicles in Dallas, but would you let one drive you?
Dallas recently made a significant advancement in transportation technology. Uber’s robotaxi service, which lets consumers experience driverless rides via its app, has officially begun in the city.
Dallas locals can now call an Avride robotaxi, according to a Wednesday announcement from Uber, which the company referred to as “a brand-new way to ride with Uber.” With plans to expand, these self-driving cars are now functioning in a 9-square-mile area that includes Deep Ellum, Turtle Creek, Uptown, and Downtown.
When choosing UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, users may come across these robotaxis. Riders will have the choice to either adopt the autonomous vehicle or convert to a conventional vehicle driven by a human.
Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, stated, “As we continue to build towards an increasingly electric and autonomous future, we’re excited to launch autonomous rides in Dallas with Avride.”
“With the largest hybrid network in the world, we’re demonstrating how AVs and drivers can collaborate to make transportation more affordable, sustainable, and convenient for people everywhere,” he continued.
Texas had been negotiating the intricacies of driverless vehicles at the time of the transfer. A number of Texas senators requested earlier this year that Tesla postpone the launch of its robotaxi in Austin until after a new state legislation went into effect.
In San Francisco, worries over self-driving cars have prompted the proposal of regulations following a Waymo car’s alleged collision with and death of a local cat.
With Uber’s launch in Dallas, big cities are increasingly experimenting with self-driving technology for daily commutes.