SAN ANTONIO – With Waymo back in service in San Antonio, KSAT set out to answer a practical question: Can a car without a driver save you money?
For a weekday morning trip from KSAT’s downtown station to San Antonio International Airport, the usual drive is about 15 minutes when traffic is light. The prices shown in the rideshare apps during KSAT’s comparison were about $21 for Lyft and $24 for both Uber and Waymo.
The lower Waymo fare came with a longer trip. The app estimated about 31 minutes to the airport. After waiting roughly 10 minutes, KSAT also had trouble finding the pickup: The car stopped at a nearby corner rather than the requested location, requiring a short walk.
The driverless car traveled an unusual route, choosing McCullough Avenue and passing through residential streets instead of taking U.S. Highway 281. The trip took 31 minutes.
A spokesperson with Waymo confirmed to KSAT that Waymos do not take freeways in San Antonio at this time.
At the airport, KSAT checked the ride options again. Uber was the quickest choice, with a driver arriving in about two minutes. The Uber fare was about $24 — roughly the same as the Waymo price shown earlier.
For further comparison, KSAT was quoted $30-40 for a taxi.
People KSAT spoke with at the airport mostly agreed that if an Uber or Lyft was faster than a Waymo, and the same price, they’d choose a car with a driver.
However, Jeff Schmeck said his son liked using Waymo in Austin because he did not like talking with an Uber driver.
He said he’s seen the cars around, and isn’t opposed to using one, but noticed they are slower than other rideshares.
“I’ve followed some into the airport,” Schmeck said. “They go 15 miles an hour when they come into the airport. So they are slower.”
KSAT’s team chose to take an Uber from the airport back to the station and met with an Uber driver who shared his thoughts.
“Frankly, I think they’re dangerous,” he said.
When asked whether he thought the technology could put his job at risk, he said, “I do. I do, but I feel like that’s with any job, with anybody.”
KSAT also asked about safety concerns after Waymo paused operations in San Antonio when a car drove into high floodwaters. A spokesperson shared that software updates have been made to the cars to better detect floodwater, and the company audited flood-prone areas.
In KSAT’s comparison at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Waymo cost about as much as Uber but took longer from pickup to arrival, with an additional wait and a pickup-location walk. Lyft had the lowest app price. For riders, the choice comes down to the fare, the wait and how quickly they need to get there.
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