Soon, parents in range of Waymo robotaxis might not have to worry about picking up their kids from after-school activities — or anytime, really.
The San Francisco Standard reports that Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary, is considering a subscription program that would let teens hail one of its cars solo and send pickup and drop-off alerts to their parents. In a survey, Waymo referred to the program as “Waymo Teen,” and floated prices ranging from $150 to $250 per month for up to 16 rides.
“We have been exploring the potential for authorized teenagers to access [Waymo] under their guardians’ supervision and have received promising feedback from our research in this area,” a Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Waymo isn’t the only ride-hailing company looking to teens to boost profits. Last year, Uber began matching teens ages 13 through 17 with highly rated drivers in its network. Consent is required from a child’s legal guardians, who then receive notifications about their whereabouts during rides.
