Uber Technologies Inc. will now offer rides in one of Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo LLC fully autonomous cars, the companies announced today.

As part of a joint operation that was announced in May this year, the service will be available in Phoenix, Arizona. Users will have a choice to accept or reject a driverless car – a car without a safety driver. There will also be an around-the-clock helpline for anyone who has taken the Waymo option.

Waymo reports that tens of thousands of people in Phoenix already order a Waymo Driver through the Waymo One app, a driverless option that has been available for some time in Phoenix and also San Francisco, and soon to be a reality in Austin, Texas. Phoenix has been a testing ground for Waymo for around five years, back when the thought of ordering a robotaxi was still fairly novel.

It’s an exciting time for the autonomous vehicle industry, although the existence of such vehicles is still somewhat tenuous. This week, the Department of Motor Vehicles suspended cars run by Waymo’s competitor, Cruise, from the streets of San Francisco. Reports state that an accident occurred in which there was a collision. As programmed, the car pulled over to the side of the road, but as it did, it dragged a person under its wheels.

The industry still has many fans, but just as many critics, and companies might only be one incident away from losing their ability to navigate the streets of the U.S. Whether a taxi or someone’s personal vehicle fitted out with autopilot, there’s a long way to go before such cars gain the public’s and government regulators’ trust. Both Uber and Waymo said in Phoenix, they have the full support of regulators.

Riders in the city can order an UberX, Uber Comfort, Uber Comfort Electric or Uber Green, and if they are in the territory where the Waymo cars are working, they’ll be given that option. If you’re in Phoenix and are enthusiastic about having your first driverless car experience, you can go into your Uber app and change your preferences, giving you more chance of being offered a Waymo car.

Photo: Waymo