Los Angeles and other parts of the Bay Area are now approved for Waymo Robotaxi driverless vehicles.
Despite protests from Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as the County of San Mateo, the California Public Utilities Commission approved the Alphabet-owned transportation company’s plan to expand.
The CPUC’s vote of confidence in Waymo One paves the way for its commercial launch in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Peninsula, a Waymo spokesperson said.
Last year, Waymo Robotaxi began testing its autonomous driving program in Los Angeles and petitioned the state to approve its passenger safety plan in January.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concern about Waymo Robotaxi vehicles blocking the road when emergency vehicles are trying to pass, which happened several times in San Francisco during this process.
Despite opposition from officials, Waymo received 81 letters of support, including those from anti-drunken driving and anti-street racing organizations, disability groups, and cycling and pedestrian organizations.
According to Waymo, its vehicles are less likely to cause injuries than human vehicles.
A “careful and incremental” approach will be taken by Waymo when expanding its robotaxi service, according to Illina, who said the company would collaborate with “city officials, local communities, and our partners.” Despite not specifying a timeline for this expansion, Illina said that over 15,000 rides have been made in the Los Angeles area.
Several driverless rideshare companies, including Waymo and Cruise, have faced controversy, especially in San Francisco, a startup hub.
Several Waymo vehicles have been filmed blocking roads, obstructing public transportation, and injuring people.
The city’s transportation officials have long called for a slower rollout of Cruise’s autonomous taxis, citing insufficient test data and a lack of incident logs.
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority’s executive director, said that giving Cruise the ability to operate driverless taxis 24/7 was premature.
Cruise’s permits were revoked by the DMV last year after a woman was dragged under one of its vehicles for 20 feet after the company received the green light from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate 24/7. As Vice reported, the company failed to disclose video footage, according to the DMV.
Videos of the incident show the community burning a Waymo vehicle to a crisp during a Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco in February.
One of the onlookers shouted, “Light that shit on fire!” despite not knowing the motive for the incident.
The Waymo robotaxi is Hollywood’s newest star
Now Waymo can operate its driverless vehicles in Los Angeles and other parts of the Bay Area.
Despite protests from major cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as the County of San Mateo, the California Public Utilities Commission approved the Alphabet-owned transportation company’s expansion bid.
The CPUC’s vote of confidence in Waymo One paves the way for its commercial deployment to Los Angeles and the San Francisco Peninsula, a Waymo spokesperson said.
The CPUC’s vote of confidence in Waymo One paves the way for its commercial deployment in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Peninsula, a Waymo spokesperson said. A year ago, the company began testing its autonomous driving program in Los Angeles and petitioned the state for approval.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concern about Waymo vehicles blocking emergency vehicles from passing, which has occurred several times in San Francisco.
Although Waymo received opposition from officials, the company also received 81 letters of support from advocacy groups, including anti-drunk driving and anti-street racing organizations, disability groups, and cycling and pedestrian organizations.
Waymo vehicles are less likely to cause injuries during crashes than human vehicles
According to Waymo, its vehicles are less likely to cause injuries during crashes than human vehicles.
During the expansion of Waymo’s robotaxi service, Ilina said it would work closely with “city officials, local communities, and our partners.” Illina did not elaborate on the timeline for this expansion, but said that the public has taken over 15,000 rides in Los Angeles so far.
In San Francisco – a hub for these startups – Waymo and other driverless ridesharing companies have faced controversy.
A few incidents of Waymo vehicles injuring people have also been filmed. Waymo vehicles have been spotted cutting off road access and blocking emergency vehicles.
In addition to insufficient testing data, San Francisco transportation officials have called for a slower rollout of Cruise’s autonomous taxis.
Executive director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), said it was premature to allow Cruise to operate driverless taxis 24/7.
A year after Cruise was granted permission to operate 24/7 by the California Public Utilities Commission, the DMV revoked its permits after one of its vehicles dragged a woman for 20 feet underneath the car. Vice reported that the video footage was not disclosed by the company, according to the DMV.
The community burned a Waymo vehicle to a crisp as part of a Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco in February, according to videos of the incident.
Onlookers in the crowd shouted, “Light that shit on fire!” despite not knowing the reasons for the incident.
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