Waymo has announced a new transit discount programme in partnership with Visa for the San Francisco Bay Area. The scheme offers $2.85 credits to customers who use Waymo's robotaxis and public transit within two hours of each other when paying with a Visa credit card. This initiative represents Waymo's latest attempt to position autonomous ride-hailing as complementary to public transportation rather than competitive, and the company plans to expand it to additional cities.

The programme mirrors previous pilots conducted in San Francisco in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2025, with Visa's involvement enabling the company to verify when customers use both services. Waymo is also installing dozens of dedicated robotaxi staging spaces at Caltrain stations to reduce wait times for commuters. However, transportation experts remain sceptical, expressing concerns that autonomous vehicles could ultimately divert passengers from buses and trains, potentially leading to service reductions. Waymo counters these concerns by citing surveys showing that over 50 per cent of its customers in major cities also use public transit.