Driverless cars are set to become a more common sight in California’s tech corridor after regulators approved Waymo’s request to expand its robotaxi operations beyond San Francisco.
The California Public Utilities Commission has given the Alphabet-owned company permission to extend its commercial service into more communities on the Peninsula, south of the city.
Waymo already operates across San Francisco and in parts of Silicon Valley, including Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Los Altos. Its current service area covers about 85 square miles.
Although the approval does not bring immediate changes, it clears the way for future growth.
Waymo, owned by Google's parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), also holds a temporary permit to begin mapping roads at San Francisco International Airport, part of a phased plan for eventual operations there.