12:59 PM EDT, 03/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Waymo One said Wednesday it will start inviting members of its waitlist to access its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The service will start in the Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles area, with the initial rides set to be free, the company said in a blog post, adding that it will transition to paid service in the coming weeks.

The company said it ran rider-only testing in Austin, Texas, last week, and plans to offer the service in the city later this year.

Shares of Alphabet rose about 1.7% in recent trading.

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