Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Miami Open to the Public

Miami: Waymo robotaxis can now be hailed by the public in Miami. The company opened the service on a rolling basis to nearly 10,000 local residents on its waitlist. Accepted riders can use a robotaxi within a 60-square-mile area in Miami. This area includes neighborhoods like the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell, and Coral Gables.

Waymo plans to expand its service to Miami International Airport soon. They have been testing their vehicles on Miami roads for months. Before public access, only employees could use the driverless service after removing safety operators in November.

This phased launch approach is common for Waymo. They first opened robotaxis in Phoenix back in 2020 and later expanded services to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company aims to launch in nearly a dozen cities in the next year. Testing has already begun in some of these cities using all-electric Jaguar vehicles and newer vans called “Ojai.”

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said that by late 2026, people should expect about 1 million trips per week. However, the expansion has faced challenges. In places like San Francisco, people recorded Waymo vehicles causing traffic jams. Federal safety regulators are also examining some incidents, like how the cars navigate around stopped school buses. Waymo issued a software recall to fix concerns, yet new videos show the issue might still exist.