A coalition of groups opposing the expansion of Waymo and Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco rallied on the steps of the California Public Utilities Commission’s offices Monday
“Robotaxis should not be on the streets of San Francisco,” said Steve Zeltzer, an organizer of the event, “or any city in California, for that matter, because they don’t have to take tests. Drivers have to take tests.”
The rally happened ahead of a CPUC meeting addressing safety issues with those autonomous vehicles. The main issue, according to San Francisco public safety agencies, is an increase in reports of robotaxis stopping unexpectedly in traffic.
The San Francisco Fire Department has reported that their crew members have logged 55 incidents where driverless cars have blocked their emergency vehicles.
This has led SF Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson to become one of the most vocal critics of AVs and how they have held up her crew members. During today’s CPUC meeting, she said Waymo and Cruise have not shared important data about how their robotaxis operate.
“I can understand and appreciate the safety that autonomous vehicles can bring to the table in terms of no drunk drivers, no speeding, all that kind of stuff,” Nicholson said. “However, they’re still not ready for primetime because of how they have impacted our operations.”
Representatives from Cruise and Waymo presented data that they say shows their vehicles have operated safely with paying passengers aboard.
Both companies did acknowledge that their vehicles do have unexpected situations arise in rare instances. Out of a million miles logged, each company said they’ve recorded more than a hundred episodes each where their AVs have stopped in emergency scenes or had issues with police. The CPUC plans to meet again on Thursday to consider if Cruise and Waymo can expand their robotaxi service beyond night hours, when they’re currently allowed to operate.
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