Toronto could become the first city in Canada to offer a fully autonomous ride-hailing service after Waymo announced plans to begin laying the groundwork for a launch in the city by 2028.
The California-based autonomous driving company says its vehicles will soon be seen on Toronto streets as it begins the first phase of operations under Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program.
The company has been approved to conduct manual driving and testing in the province, allowing it to start high-definition mapping of Toronto’s road network while collecting data on local driving conditions. During the initial testing phase, trained autonomous specialists will remain behind the wheel.
Waymo, which operates self-driving taxi services in several U.S. markets — including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas — says the work will help adapt its autonomous driving system, known as the “Waymo Driver,” to Toronto’s unique traffic patterns, road infrastructure, weather conditions and urban environment.
Hundreds of jobs expected
As part of the move, Waymo is partnering with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, which will oversee fleet operations in the region.
The company says the expansion is expected to create hundreds of jobs over time, including roles in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and operations.
The company plans to invest in local facilities and operational infrastructure ahead of an anticipated public launch in 2028.
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Waymo describes itself as an autonomous driving technology company working to develop fully driverless transportation.
Its self-driving system combines cameras, radar, lidar sensors and artificial intelligence-powered software to navigate roads without human intervention. The company says the technology can monitor surroundings in 360 degrees and detect objects up to three football fields away, including in low-light conditions and adverse weather.
The company’s vehicles currently operate in more than 15 cities, providing more than 500,000 paid trips each week.
Since launching public ride-hailing services in 2020, Waymo says it has completed more than 20 million trips and operates a fleet of approximately 4,000 fully autonomous vehicles.
The company says its autonomous driving system now logs more than four million kilometres of travel every week and has accumulated more than 400 million kilometres over its lifetime.
Uber calls for safety standards as autonomous vehicle testing expands
Ride-hailing giant Uber says autonomous vehicles and human drivers will likely coexist for years as the technology continues to develop.
In a statement to CityNews, Laura Miller, Uber Canada’s head of policy and communications, said the company supports the expansion of autonomous vehicle technology and is already working with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies worldwide, including Toronto-based Waabi.
“We believe the future of mobility will be hybrid, with human drivers and autonomous vehicles operating side by side,” Miller said. “Uber is helping bring that future to life through partnerships with over 30 AV companies, including Waabi, founded and led right here in Toronto by Raquel Urtasun.”
Miller said autonomous vehicles have the potential to make transportation safer, more accessible and more affordable, but added that governments, industry and communities should work together to establish clear rules before driverless passenger service becomes available.
“With driverless rides for paying passengers still at least two years away in Ontario, now is the time for government, industry and communities to work together to set clear safety standards, prepare for the impact on workers, and ensure this technology delivers benefits for everyone,” she said.
Uber characterized Ontario’s announcement as an early step in the province’s regulatory process, noting that testing under the framework will initially be limited to mapping and supervised vehicle testing with human safety operators behind the wheel.
The company also said it expects human drivers to remain an important part of transportation networks, particularly during periods of high demand, emergencies and in areas where autonomous vehicles may not yet be able to operate reliably.
According to Uber, driverless rides for paying passengers are not expected in Ontario before 2028 at the earliest and would still require additional approvals before becoming commercially available.
Safety at the centre of expansion plans
Waymo argues that safety remains one of the strongest cases for autonomous transportation.
According to company data, vehicles operating with the Waymo Driver were involved in 95 per cent fewer serious injury crashes compared with human drivers over more than 400 million rider-only kilometres. The company also reports injury crashes involving pedestrians were reduced by 93 per cent and cyclist-related crashes by 86 per cent.
Separate research cited by the company suggests its technology avoids collisions more effectively than an attentive human driver. A study conducted with reinsurer Swiss Re found vehicles equipped with the Waymo Driver generated 76 per cent fewer property damage claims and no bodily injury claims per million rider-only miles driven.
The announcement comes amid growing interest in automated transportation across Canada. Research from the Chamber of Progress estimates that automated ride-hailing services could contribute nearly $1.34 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2050 while supporting almost 14,000 jobs nationwide.
