The automated self-driving car service Waymo announced it is opening its waitlist for users in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles on Wednesday ahead of its planned launch later this year.

Waymo will be offering fully automated drive services in four cities this year, including Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, Arizona. Select members on the Los Angeles waitlist will be allowed to ride for free in a 63-mile radius starting Thursday.

“Once an unimaginable future, autonomous driving is now a real-world way of getting around for tens of thousands of people each week,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a statement. “After achieving key milestones in each city, we’re so excited to bring the safety, comfort and delight of our Waymo One service to more people in Los Angeles and Austin this year.”

The announcement comes after a year of careful testing in the four cities and follows approval from the California Public Utilities Commission on March 1. The company said it currently has 50,000 people on the waitlist in Los Angeles. 

The company’s plans put it ahead of its chief rival, the General Motors-owned Cruise, which has faced backlash after an automated Cruise vehicle dragged a pedestrian 20 feet after an accident.  

Waymo has also experienced minor problems recently. In San Francisco, one Waymo car bumped into a cyclist, causing minor injuries last month. According to the company, the car had stopped as it intended at an intersection and waited for a large truck to pass before taking its turn. However, it failed to detect the bicycle behind the truck in time. When it did eventually notice the bicycle, it slowed down but could not fully stop before hitting the rider.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Despite recent incidents, riders who tested the service in Los Angeles have given the experience an average rating of 4.7 stars out of five. The company said it will continue giving free rides to people on the waitlist on Thursday but will transition to a paid service in the coming weeks.

People interested in joining the waitlist in Austin and Los Angeles can enroll in the program on its website.