General Motors’ driverless subsidiary Cruise has been given approval to offer driverless rides to passengers in California.

Cruise will be able to operate services without a driver in the vehicle, but will not be allowed to charge for it.

“We’re honoured to be the first to receive a permit from the @californiapuc to provide a driverless autonomous vehicle passenger service here in California,” the company tweeted.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) says Cruise is the first entrant into the CPUC’s Driverless Pilot programme, in which passengers can ride in a test vehicle that operates without a driver in the vehicle.

Companies participating in the pilot must submit quarterly reports to the CPUC about the operation of their vehicles providing driverless AV passenger service. Companies must also submit a Passenger Safety Plan that outlines their plans for protecting passenger safety for driverless operations.

(Picture – Cruise)