The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has given Waymo the green light to expand its robotaxi operation to more parts of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Peninsula, despite opposition from local groups and government agencies. “Waymo may begin operating driverless passenger services in certain areas of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Peninsula starting today,” the regulator wrote in its decision (PDF). like CNBC Waymo has been testing driverless vehicles in the region for some time, but the decision allows it to start charging passengers for robotaxi rides.
In the CPUC’s decision, it acknowledged receiving letters protesting Waymo’s expansion from the City of South San Francisco, San Mateo County, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the San Francisco County Transit Authority, and the San Francisco Taxi Workers Union. . And the company received the letter before it halted Waymo’s expansion efforts for up to 120 days in February after the Alphabet-owned company announced a recall of its vehicles. Waymo reported that two of its robotaxis collided with a rear-end pickup truck it was towing in December 2023 because its software at the time incorrectly predicted the truck’s movements. The company had to develop and deploy modifications to its vehicles.
LA Mayor Karen Bass previously sent a letter (PDF) to the CPUC expressing concerns about the regulator’s decision to allow autonomous vehicles to operate in her city. “To date, local jurisdictions like Los Angeles have had little to no intervention in AV deployment and are already experiencing significant harm and disruption,” she wrote. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman David Canepa also commented on the latest developments in a statement: This is seriously and disingenuous. “We have never had a conversation to address our concerns, and neither Waymo nor the CPUC have told us they are not interested in local concerns about public safety for our residents.”
However, Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina assured the public in a statement: mad The company will take an “incremental approach” when it comes to rolling out services in LA. Additionally, there are “no immediate plans” to expand service in San Francisco. Additionally, she said Waymo is helping “city officials, local communities and [its] Ilina also noted that while the CPUC received letters of protest, it also received letters of support for Waymo’s expansion from 81 organizations and individuals. This includes various organizations for older and disabled people, local community councils and transport advocates.
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