San Diego is pushing back against robotaxis just weeks after Waymo publicly unveiled its expansion to the Southern California city, with officials saying such services could threaten people’s ability to make a living.
It’s a concern echoed elsewhere in the nation, including in response to legislation about autonomous vehicles in Washington, D.C.
and over a scrapped proposal related to robotaxis in New York, according to reports from CNBC.San Diego City Council unanimously approved a resolution that urges Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to “restore” local authority over whether autonomous vehicle passenger services can operate in their jurisdiction, according to San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera and the resolution’s
text.
San Diego's resolution calls for ban at airport
The resolution, approved on Sept. 14, calls for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to ban driverless vehicle operations at the San Diego International Airport, “to protect airport ground transportation workers and maintain safety and order,” according to a staff report.
“Thousands of San Diegans pay their bills by driving, and no one gave them a say in robots threatening their livelihoods,” said Elo-Rivera in a statement.
Waymo said it began welcoming its first public riders in San Diego at the start of September. Just two days later, the president of United Taxi Workers of San Diego called for the city “not to sell out the people who already move this city.”
“We deal with drunk passengers, lost tourists, seniors who need help with a bag, workers who need to make a shift,” Mikaiil Hussein said. “A camera and a steering wheel with nobody in it does not replace that. It competes with us — on terms that were never written for us.”
United Taxi Workers of San Diego and Waymo did not immediately respond to the USA TODAY Network’s request for comment about the resolution’s passing.
The California Public Utilities Commission recently paved the way for Waymo to expand to cities such as San Diego, according to the Desert Sun, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
Hussein’s comments come as Uber and Lyft drivers earned a major victory this year — the establishment of the SEIU California Gig Workers Union.
San Diego’s new resolution said the “rapid deployment” of autonomous vehicle services has caused safety and operational problems. Under a California law that went into effect earlier this year, autonomous vehicle manufacturers must maintain a dedicated emergency response line for first responders, and quickly direct its fleet to leave or avoid a certain area identified by emergency response officials.
The same California law also grants law enforcement the ability to issue notices to manufacturers if these vehicles commit a traffic violation, according to the California DMV.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Waymos come to SoCal city, leaders ask Newsom for more authority
