Washington, May 20 (IANS): Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. has announced it would road-test its first self-driving car in Pittsburgh city of the US.

The test vehicle will be collecting mapping data as well as testing its self-driving capabilities, the San Francisco-based company said in a blog post on Thursday, adding that a trained driver will be sitting behind the wheel to monitor the testing when the car is in self-driving mode, Xinhua news agency reported.

The hybrid Ford Fusion converted car is mounted with various sensors, including radars, laser scanners and high resolution cameras, to map details of the environment.

According to Uber, its self-driving programme is still in its early stage with each day of testing bringing improvements. 

"Right now we're focused on getting the technology right and ensuring it's safe for everyone on the road -- pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers," it said.

Pittsburgh is seen by Uber as an ideal place to develop and test its self-driving technology across a wide variety of road types, traffic patterns and weather conditions.