California Regulators Give Waymo and Cruise the Green Light
Last week, California regulators gave Waymo and Cruise the OK to scale up their robotaxi services in San Francisco. However, it seems that the city itself won’t have it.
City Attorney David Chiu Files Motions with CPUC
On Wednesday, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to pause the firms’ plans to charge for robotaxi rides in the city at all hours. The news was first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle.
Arguments Mirror Concerns of Residents and Agencies
The arguments made by City Attorney Chiu mirror many of the concerns brought to the CPUC by residents and city agencies. In a marathon hearing last Thursday, many residents insisted that robotaxis in their current form were too obstructive and unsafe to share roads with cyclists, human drivers, and emergency responders.
Robotaxi Incidents Raise Concerns
In the days since the CPUC’s green light, at least 10 driverless cars have reportedly stalled and blocked traffic. One even drove right into wet concrete.
City Attorney Chiu’s Letter to CPUC
City Attorney Chiu’s letter states:
"San Francisco will suffer serious harms from this expansion of driverless AV operations that will outweigh any potential harms from a minimal delay in commercial deployment Cruise may experience."
The letter goes on to argue that the CPUC "failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act" when it green-lit the robotaxi expansions.
Waymo and Cruise Respond
In comments sent to TechCrunch by email, a spokesperson for Waymo expressed support for the CPUC’s decision. They added:
"We will follow this development closely, and in the meantime, we will continue to work with the city of San Francisco in constructive ways while providing safe and accessible mobility to San Franciscans."
A Cruise spokesperson offered a similar statement in support of the CPUC.
"It’s unfortunate to see the city use public resources to bypass that decision and restrict a technology with an excellent safety record used by tens of thousands of SF residents," Cruise’s spokesperson added.
Background on Robotaxi Expansion
In recent years, Waymo and Cruise have been working to expand their robotaxi services in San Francisco. The companies have been testing their autonomous vehicles (AVs) on public roads and have received permission from the CPUC to charge for rides.
However, concerns about safety and regulation have been raised by residents and city agencies. Some argue that the current form of robotaxis is too obstructive and poses a risk to human drivers and cyclists.
Why San Francisco City Attorney Seeks to Halt Robotaxi Expansion
The decision by City Attorney Chiu to seek to halt the robotaxi expansion in San Francisco raises questions about the role of regulators and city officials in ensuring public safety.
In an interview with TechCrunch, a spokesperson for Waymo said:
"We understand that there are concerns about the safety and regulatory framework for AVs. We are committed to working with the city of San Francisco to address these concerns and ensure that our technology is deployed safely and responsibly."
A Cruise spokesperson added:
"Regulators have been clear about their expectations for companies like ours. We will continue to work with them to meet those expectations and deploy our technology in a way that benefits San Franciscans."
The Future of Robotaxis
The decision by City Attorney Chiu to seek to halt the robotaxi expansion in San Francisco raises questions about the future of this technology.
Will regulators find ways to address concerns about safety and regulation, or will cities like San Francisco continue to push back against the expansion of robotaxis?
Only time will tell.
