Uber's autonomous taxi

Uber users in Pittsburgh in the US, will soon be able to hire a ride in a self-driving car, the NZ Herald reports. The ride-hailing company announced that within weeks, customers will be able to take part in a test program and summon an autonomous Ford Fusion. Autonomous rides will be free, but the cars will come with human backup drivers in case of any unexpected situations. Uber, which has a self-driving research lab in Pittsburgh, says it has no immediate plans to roll-out autonomous rides in other cities. But chief executive Travis Kalanick says the development of the vehicles is paramount for the company. "We've got to be laser-focused on getting this to market, because it's not a side project for us. This is everything. This is all the marbles for Uber." He adds that without drivers, the cost of hailing a ride will be cheaper than owning a car, changing the way people get around. Kalanick didn’t speculate on when Uber would dispense with the human driver, saying that full automation is currently only possible in limited places with little traffic.