Waymo Self-Driving Taxi in San Francisco
Key Points
- Waymo receives approval to extend its driverless robotaxi services to Los Angeles and neighboring cities near San Francisco.
- Regulatory decision follows protests from local authorities concerning public input and safety concerns.
- Waymo's expansion plans face scrutiny amidst recent incidents involving robotaxis.
Expanding Driverless Services
A proposal from Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) self-driving subsidiary, Waymo, to expand its fared, completely driverless robotaxi services to Los Angeles and select cities near San Francisco has received approval from a California regulator, effective immediately.
Protests and Opposition
However, objections were raised by the City of South San Francisco, the County of San Mateo, and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, among others.
The City of South San Francisco advocated for public testimony and evidence submission concerning the implications of Waymo's expansion.
San Mateo argued that approving Waymo's proposal without further input from local stakeholders would be "unreasonable," noting the absence of prior discussions between Waymo and county officials.
Recent Incidents
This regulatory decision comes amid rising public concerns surrounding robotaxis, fueled by recent incidents involving Waymo and its competitor, General Motors' (GM.N) Cruise.
In February, a Waymo robotaxi was vandalized and set ablaze during Chinese New Year celebrations in San Francisco's Chinatown. This incident followed a collision involving another Waymo vehicle and a cyclist at a city intersection.
Moreover, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles last month due to two minor collisions in Arizona, where a software error could lead to inaccurate predictions of a towed vehicle's movement.
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