Lyft Granted Permission to Test Autonomous Cars
The California DMV has awarded lyft, a ride-hailing service, a permit allowing autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. They look to add this as a feature, specifically in the Bay Area, near where their headquarters are located. They are working with other industry leaders such as Waymo, Ford, and Nutonomy to stay competitive with Uber. So far, California has released 45 permits to businesses for autonomous testing on their roads. Uber had received their permit in March. After a recent string of blunders from Uber, such as unqualified drivers and criminals driving for Uber, Lyft has seen their revenue nearly triple in the last year. Both ride-sharing companies are taxi alternatives, that can cost much less. They provide services from sharing a car with strangers, all the way to high-end luxury rides.
