Self-driving cars may soon become a fixture on Big Apple roads.

Waymo, one of the best-known companies for autonomous vehicles, has secured the first permit to test self-driving cars in New York City as the robotaxi race heats up, city officials announced Friday.

The California-based company, a subsidiary of Google’s parent Alphabet , operates a fleet of about 1,500 vehicles and has already logged more than 10 million rides in five U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin.

The permit allows Waymo to test up to eight autonomous vehicles in parts of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn under strict safety rules, including a requirement that a trained AV specialist remain behind the wheel at all times, Mayor Eric Adams and Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.

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