Robotaxis: Driverless cars arriving in US cities

Imagine getting into a taxi, setting off to your destination, only to find there's no one driving the car.

This is now a reality in some cities in the USA, as a company has launched its own fleet of robotaxis - or driverless cars.

Customers are able to order a "no person pick-up" in the cities of Phoenix in Arizona and in Los Angeles and San Francisco in California.

But some have criticised the availability of driverless taxis, saying they risk blocking roads and put people out of jobs.

The company behind this particular service, called Waymo, says around 50,000 people in LA are on the waitlist to try their robotaxis.

Once the service is up and running in an area, people who want a lift can order one through an app and follow the instructions.

In some places you can even order a takeaway delivered in a car without a driver.

Are robotaxis coming anywhere else?

Austin in Texas is the next city that's set to get the Waymo cars this year.

Elon Musk, CEO of electric car company Tesla, has announced he will be unveiling his own robotaxi service in August 2024, although he gave no further details.

Driverless cars have been in development for decades, with a number of companies racing to be the first to perfect the technology.

The hope is that driverless cars will make driving safer, as human drivers can make mistakes.

Driverless taxis may also be seen as more convenient because cars don't need to take breaks.

But they do also present some problems.

Some drivers' unions in the US have criticised the introduction of driverless cars, with one union leader Lindsay Dougherty saying: "The ultimate fear of our members is losing these jobs."

She also she didn't trust the technology would be safe enough.

But Waymo's product management director, Chris Ludwick, has said there has been an "exceptional" welcome of robotaxis in LA.