State bill pushes for local control over robotaxi companies

A rear quarter view of a Jaguar I-Pace modified by Waymo for use as an autonomous vehicle driving down Potrero St. in San Francisco. (9yz/Wikimedia Commons)

State legislation announced today would require autonomous vehicle companies to only employ remote operators who hold a California driver’s license.

The bill from South Bay State Senator Dave Cortese aims to address safety concerns.

Right now, Waymo employs remote workers in the Philippines to monitor and supervise rides.

Uber and Lyft driver Joseph Augusto said the need for local workers was especially demonstrated during a December power outage in San Francisco when many robotaxis shut down mid-ride.

“There is a lag between the communications," Augusto said. "These people are not particularly trained on California law or traffic. We need sufficient people to make sure that when there are emergencies they have the ability to respond on their own.”

The bill would also require companies to publish monthly incident reports, respond to emergencies within 10 minutes and allow fines to be imposed if their cars disrupt traffic.

Listen to the story at KQED: https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/kqed-newscast-480c145e-2ca5-400e-a0ac-4e940a897a02