Uber To Use Autonomous Cars To Haul People In Next Few Weeks
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Uber is currently testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, and the company now says it is ready to start carrying passengers.
Talk about sticking out in a crowd.
The Uber self-driving vehicles, with their sensors, lasers, radar, cameras and GPS antennas in clear view, have been on the streets of Pittsburgh for months now, but are still turning heads.
The vehicular acrobats are successfully dancing through the city's narrow streets and tight turns, so the company is taking its testing to the next evolution, carrying passengers.
The testing period has been uneventful, but Uber understands there could be hesitation. So, self-driving will be an option.
Riders selecting the self-driving vehicles when they summon an Uber on the company's app will get a free ride instead of the usual $1.30 a mile.
Uber's ultimate goal will be a totally autonomous taxi, but for now, there will be a driver behind the wheel ready to take over if needed.
"I think it's a great idea; it's a step forward," said Perry Gregg, of the Strip District. "If you think humans are machines, so they have flaws, they make mistakes. I think probably robotic cars will make less mistakes."
Uber's current fleet, made up exclusively of self-driving Fords, will grow dramatically over the next couple months as a hundred self-driving Volvos join the Pittsburgh motor pool.
Uber isn't saying how soon they'll start picking up those free-riding passengers, other than to say it will start sometime in the next few weeks.
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