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 San Francis⛎co, 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.