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The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has given Waymo permission to expand its robotaxi operation to more locations in 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,” regulators said in a report. decision (PDF).as CNBC Waymo has been testing driverless vehicles in these locations for some time, but notes that this decision will allow it to charge passengers for robotaxi rides.
In its decision, the CPUC acknowledged that it had received letters of protest regarding 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 Alliance. . And the letters came before authorities suspended Waymo’s expansion efforts in February for up to 120 days after Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo announced a recall of its vehicles. Waymo reported at the time that two of its robotaxis collided with a reverse-facing pickup truck they were towing in December 2023 after its software incorrectly predicted the truck’s movements. The company needed to develop a fix and deploy it to its fleet.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Sent a letter to the CPUC (PDF), expressed concern about regulators’ decision to allow self-driving cars in her city. “To date, local governments like Los Angeles have had little or no involvement in AV deployments, which have already caused significant damage and disruption,” she wrote. and David Canepa, vice chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. stated in a statement Regarding this recent development, he said: “I’m confused and a little suspicious that it took the CPUC only 11 days to change its mind about the suspension. I think this is terrible and disingenuous. has not had any discussions to address the concerns, and it states,” It seems to me that neither Waymo nor the CPUC care about local concerns of public safety for residents. ”
However, Waymo spokesperson Julia Irina assured the public in a statement: wired The company said it plans to take an “incremental approach” to rolling out the service in Los Angeles. The company says it has “no immediate plans” to expand its service in San Francisco. Additionally, she said Waymo will continue to “work closely with city officials, local communities, and communities.” [its] Irina also said that while the CPUC received letters of protest, it also received letters of support for Waymo’s expansion from 81 organizations and individuals. Among them are various organizations for older people and people with disabilities, local community councils and transport advocates as well.
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