Alphabet's (GOOG) Waymo and General Motor's (GM) Cruise received regulatory approval to expand their robotaxi services to offer 24/7 driverless ride-hailing services across San Francisco.

After about six hours of debate, the California Public Utilities Commission voted 3-to-1 in favor of the robotaxis expanding operations, in a move that would allow San Francisco to become the first U.S. city with two fleets of driverless ride-hailing services competing with human-driven taxis and traditional ride-hailing companies like Uber.

Previously, Cruise could offer rides only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in limited parts of San Francisco, and Waymo could only charge a fare if a human driver was sitting in the vehicle. Though several companies are permitted autonomous vehicles in Saꦡn Francisco, only Cruise and Waymo held licenses for taxi service with restrictions.

The robotaxi services providers expect high demand, with more than 2,600 people reportedly signing a petition for the authorities to expand Cruise's services.

Waymo also said there are more than 100,000 sign-ups on its waitlist. The Alphabet-owned company already offers over 10,000 rides every week, operating 250 robotaxis.