Waymo's driverless taxis open to the public in Phoenix suburbs

• Service had been suspended back in March because of the coronavirus.

The catch: You can only ride within a 50-mile radius of Chandler, a suburb southeast of Phoenix, and existing customers get first dibs.

• "We'll start with those who are already a part of Waymo One and, over the next several weeks, welcome more people directly into the service through our app," CEO John Krafcik wrote in a blog post Thursday.
• Rides in other parts of the city will restart in a few weeks, with human backup drivers and barriers separating them from passengers.
• That will allow Waymo to keep expanding its service area, Krafcik said.

One note about hygiene: Driverless taxis will be cleaned frequently by Waymo's service partner, AutoNation, and will be equipped with disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and an upgraded air-purification system, Krafcik said.