Robot Taxis Are On Their Way To Las Vegas

Robot Taxis are headed to Las Vegas!

According to comprehensive studies, and locals, Las Vegas already has the worst drivers in the country, and that includes Las Vegas cabbies. 

Zoox, a company based in Foster, California, has developed an all-electric robot-like taxi. Ryan Wallace, Director of Fleet Operations told Fox 5 News, Zoox believes there is a huge opportunity to provide efficient, excellent services, and amazing new rider experiences.

The Taxis are similar to London taxis. A carriage design where the seats face each other. They're bi-directional, so you can travel in either direction, depending on which way you're headed.

The company has been using Toyota Highlanders with a human driver to collect data before testing the robotaxi service.  Wallace says, “We have been operating  with crews from Zoox so we learn how the service operates" and any nuances the Las Vegas area might have.

Believe me, Las Vegas roads are full of nuances. Good luck, Robot Taxis.

Wallace said that the Robot taxis have 100's of safety innovations are not found in typical vehicles. It has a horseshoe airbag that basically surrounds you if there is an incident.

The cars also have a 360-degree view with sensors, so if one fails, there are overlapping fields of coverage, which adds to safety. 

The vehicles also have comfort and convenience in mind, with cupholders, wireless device charging and climate and music controls.

The process of requesting a robot cab, and cost of using one, will be similar to that of an Uber or Lyft - via an app.

Wallace said rolling out new robotaxis also means more job opportunities. Mainly technicians who look after and maintain the vehicles.

With F1, the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas, and the Sphere soon opening, Zoox hopes that the robotaxis help meet the demand for more transportation.

Some people will be really excited to use robot cabs, and others not so much. I know one thing for sure: I don't want to be the first to hail a robot cab -- in Las Vegas!

Las Vegas used to be the land of FREE PARKING! Well that has certainly changed, and locals are downright unhappy.

If there’s just one thing locals wish they could demand out of Strip, and downtown casinos, it would be free parking. Locals admit, they would do a lot more on the strip if they didn't have to pay for parking. It's not necessarily the price, but the principal.

Self-parking garage policies have changed dramatically over the years, and far ewer resorts offer complimentary parking in Las Vegas nowadays.

The latest to announce "no more free parking" is The Venetian and The Palazzo, whose management said paid parking will kick in at the resorts sometime later in August.

The policy change appears to be because of the anticipated opening of the Sphere – so I'm quite certain other parking garages will change their policies so they can also cash in on the new foot traffic we'll be seeing.

Here’s a breakdown of the free and sorta, kinda, free-ish parking garages that are still available as of the beginning of August 2023. How long it will last is anyone's guess, so grab it while you can!

The options of complimentary self-parking in Las Vegas are very limited. Several properties on the Strip offer free parking to locals for a specific number of hour, or on certain days. And a few downtown properties will validate for a few hours (some keep it pretty secret, so don't be afraid to ask.

Many resorts offer free self-parking for loyalty program members of a designated level, and local Nevada ID's can save you a little bit.

Horseshoe, Caesars Palace, Paris, The Linq, Flamingo and the Cromwell resorts all offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur resorts, offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

The Mirage offers the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license. Locals who use their Nevada ID at the resort’s players club, and join Hard Rock’s Unity loyalty program will be upgraded to the second-tier and gain complimentary free parking access.

Resorts World offers complimentary parking for 'Genting Reward' members.

The Strat offers complimentary parking for locals with valid Nevada ID.  (Yay!!!!)