GM's Cruise starts charging fares for driverless rides in San Francisco

General Motors' autonomous driving unit Cruise has started charging fares for driverless rides in San Francisco, the company said on Thursday, a step towards commercialization of the service.

Cruise earlier this month became the first company to secure a permit to charge for self-driving car rides in the U.S. city, after it overcame objections by local officials.

Self-driving test cars with human safety drivers have become a constant sight in San Francisco, and completely driverless ones are increasingly common too. Turning them into a fledgling business in a major U.S. city marks a milestone in the long, delayed journey toward driverless taxi service.

The fared driverless rides are currently taking place in the northwest third of the city, the self-driving tech firm said on Thursday, adding that it would expand the service.