California regulators gave robotaxi operators Waymo and Cruise the green light to drive on the streets of San Francisco during all times of the day, despite safety concerns raised by local officials and community members.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 3-1 yesterday (Aug. 10) to grant driverless deployment permits to the ride-hailing companies. Waymo, formerly the Google self-driving car project, and Cruise, which is majority-owned by GM, are celebrating the win following years of development and billions of dollars in investment.
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Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana thanked the CPUC for the “vote of confidence” in a blog post, while Prashanthi Raman, Cruise vice president of global government affairs, called it a “historic industry milestone,” as quoted in Wired.
No limit has been placed on the size of Cruise and Waymo’s fleets, which will now be able to directly compete with human-driven taxis and ride-hailing services operating in the city. Cruise was previously authorized to operate fared, driverless services only in certain areas of San Francisco from 10pm to 6am, while Waymo was permitted to operate non-fared, driverless services at any time across San Francisco.
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What San Franciscans have said about expanding driverless ride-hailing services
During the seven-hour-long hearing on Thursday (Aug. 10), residents of San Francisco presented arguments for and against greater use of robotaxis in the city.
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One resident argued that expanded services would turn the city into a “tech playground.” Others pointed out there was not enough information yet to ensure an all-hours roll-out of services would be safe for residents. Some recounted personal instances where they felt endangered by a driverless car, and cited documented safety issues with Waymo and Cruise—unexpected breaking, stopping traffic, the killing of a small dog—as reasons to hold back on a green light.
Residents in favor of expansion argued that greater access to robotaxis could help disabled and elderly residents, and could also mitigate instances of drunk driving. One resident said he appreciated how the Waymo app had Chinese language services, so he wouldn’t have to worry about his mother’s language barrier when ordering her a car. Another said robotaxis could become a tourist attraction for the city.
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CPUC commissioner John Reynolds said in a statement following the decision: “While we do not yet have the data to judge AVs against the standard human drivers are setting, I do believe in the potential of this technology to increase safety on the roadway.”
Waymo and Cruise’s current operations in San Francisco, by the digits
250: Waymo cars offering ride-hailing services, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle
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400: Cruise cars offering ride-hailing services, with 300 operating at night and 100 during the day
177: Number of “vehicle retrieval events” Cruise recorded between January and July 18
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58: Number of “vehicle retrieval events” Waymo recorded between January and June 30
55: Incidents of robotaxis interfering with the San Francisco Fire Department’s operations, a point emphasized by Fire Department chief Jeanine Nicholson at a hearing on Aug. 7
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600: Approximate number of incidents with driverless cars San Francisco has recorded since June 2022
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