By HAVEN DALEY, Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — On Friday, drivers from Lyft and Uber staged a protest against self-driving Waymo taxis in San Francisco, urging state regulators to enhance oversight of autonomous vehicles due to recent incidents where the cars injured pets and obstructed traffic.
Approximately two dozen drivers and supporters gathered outside the California Public Utilities Commission’s offices, voicing their concerns and calling for safer streets and increased accountability as the commission met to discuss more regulations on autonomous vehicles.
A steady flow of Waymo cars passed by the protest, highlighting the increasing presence of these white taxis in San Francisco.
“I personally am not opposed to technology; I oppose unfair treatment,” stated Joseph Augusto, a driver for both Uber and Lyft. “We have these companies providing autonomous vehicles that roam the city without being held to the same standards that we are.”
The California Public Utilities Commission, responsible for regulating Uber and Lyft, is currently refining and broadening policies surrounding autonomous robotaxis as the industry evolves. The California Gig Workers Union has called for these vehicles to be removed from the streets until safety issues are properly addressed.
The state agency has not yet responded to a request for comment, nor has Waymo, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Waymo’s vehicles recently blocked San Francisco streets during a widespread power outage just days before Christmas, forcing the company to pause service and raising concerns about the cars’ adaptability to real-world driving scenarios.
In September, a Waymo made an illegal U-turn in front of a sign specifying that such maneuvers were prohibited, but San Bruno police could not issue a ticket due to the absence of a human driver. In October, a Waymo tragically killed a beloved neighborhood cat named Kit Kat.
Augusto remarked that he witnessed Waymos stalled at intersections while pedestrians weaved around them during the power outage on December 20.
“Waymos were everywhere, just haphazardly spread across the city without any clear plan,” he added.
