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After months of testing its controversial robotaxis on Tampa’s streets, Waymo says they’ll be operating soon without a human safety driver.
Waymo first began testing its vehicles in Tampa in December 2025. Since then, residents may have seen the distinct, camera-covered, white SUVs driving around with a Waymo employee in the front seat for the technology to be tested safely.
That will soon change. “Autonomous mode activated in four new cities!” The company posted on social media Wednesday. “Starting today you’ll see our vehicles with no humans at the wheel in Las Vegas with Denver, San Diego, and Tampa to follow.”
The company did not announce a specific launch date for the 24/7 taxi service in Tampa, only saying that driverless vehicles will be operating “soon,” and that riders can download the Waymo app for updates.
Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has rapidly expanded its self-driving taxi service across the country’s biggest cities this year, most recently Miami, Orlando and Nashville.
Throughout its expansion, the company has faced plenty of controversy over malfunctions and threats to the job market.
In San Francisco on July 4, many Waymo vehicles became trapped in heavy traffic, some for so long that they ran out of battery, requiring tow trucks to come and pick them up. In separate incidents the same night, one unoccupied Waymo caught on fire after driving over a firework, while another robotaxi with passengers drove through an exploding firework in the street. No injuries were reported, and the company said it is investigating the incidents.
Protesters destroyed around five Waymos in the Los Angeles anti-ICE protests last year, vandalizing and setting them on fire.
Waymo has also faced heavy pushback from drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft as well as from labor advocates like the Transport Workers Union, which have called out Waymo for threatening members’ jobs.
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This article appears in July 09 – 15, 2026.
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