Waymo has temporarily suspended its autonomous taxi services on freeways across the United States to implement software updates aimed at improving performance around construction zones and flooded roads. The company confirmed that freeway rides, previously available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami, will be paused, while street and off-highway services continue as normal.
In a statement to Reuters, a Waymo spokesperson said the pause is a proactive decision to integrate technical learnings into the software, with routes expected to resume soon. The company emphasised its commitment to safety and reliability, thanking riders for their patience during the adjustment period.
The suspension follows a recall of 3,800 vehicles earlier this month due to a software defect that caused some robotaxis to drive into flooded roadways. Waymo also paused operations in Atlanta after a robotaxi stopped in flood water on Wednesday. These incidents come amid heightened scrutiny after a Waymo vehicle struck a child outside a school in Santa Monica, California, and ran over a cat in San Francisco earlier this year.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is expanding rapidly, with plans to launch in London this September. The company aims to surpass one million trips per week by the end of 2026, up from the current 500,000. It claims to have driven over 170 million autonomous miles, with 13 times fewer injury-causing collisions than human drivers on its routes.
