Sept 18 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Waymo will

offer its autonomous rides on Via Transportation's ( VIA )

public transit platform, starting with Chandler city in Arizona,

the companies said on Thursday.

The service will be introduced this fall in the city's

on-demand small-scale public transportation service, Chandler

Flex, which is powered by Via's software.

The transit technology maker's suite of software and

technology-enabled services powers public transportation systems

in hundreds of cities across more than 30 countries, the company

said.

"We're delighted that this partnership with Waymo paves

the path for AVs (autonomous vehicles) to become accessible to

millions of global public transit riders, enhancing mobility,

lowering operating costs, and improving safety outcomes," said

Daniel Ramot, Via's co-founder and CEO.

Waymo has been ramping up operations in the U.S. as the

robotaxi race heats up. On Wednesday, it said that it plans to

start offering autonomous cab rides in Nashville, Tennessee,

next year in collaboration with ride-hailing firm Lyft ( LYFT ).

After starting in Phoenix in 2020, Waymo now offers paid

driverless rides to the public in the San Francisco Bay Area,

along with parts of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta.

EV maker Tesla deployed a limited robotaxi service

in Austin in June. The company has said it plans to expand the

service to the San Francisco Bay Area.