Cruise officially begins offering self-driving paid service in San Francisco

GM's Cruise said on June 23 that it has begun offering a paid driverless ride-hailing service to the public in San Francisco, the latest step toward commercializing the service,media reported.

Earlier this month, Cruise overcame objections from local officials to become the first business to receive a toll permit for self-driving cars in San Francisco.On June 2, the California Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to approve Cruise's license.The company said it will launch as many as 30 electricChevrolet Bolt vehicles equipped with driverless systems in the coming weeks tolaunch a paid service locally.

Self-driving test vehicles with human safety officers have become the norm in the city of San Francisco, and fully driverless test vehicles are becoming more common.It's a major milestone for a driverless taxi service to turn this into a real business in a major U.S. city.

Image credit: Cruise

Cruise is currently offering driverless rides in the northwest third of San Francisco, adding that they will expand the service.Vehicles will be limited to a top speed of 30 miles per hour and will also avoid downtown areas and the 10pm-6am period.Vehicles are not allowed to use highways, and are not allowed to drive in weather conditions such as heavy fog, rain, and roads with low visibility.

Cruise said the new service will allow users to share rides with a friend, whereas trips previously were limited to account holders.The company's "Cruise — Driverless Rides" iOS app is now available in the Apple App Store via an invite code to passengers who previously signed up for a public waiting list.