Are these robotaxis really ready for prime time?
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Waymo is planning to expand its robotaxi service in California, guaranteeing there will be more instances of mayhem — like when confused Waymo taxis were caught honking at each other throughout the night in city parking lots.
Waymo wants to expand to the East Bay, San Jose and highways around San Francisco Bay, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In fact, the expansion has already kicked into high gear with Waymo robotaxis just beginning to operate in surrounding San Francisco bedroom communities such as Daly City this month.
Outside of the Bay, Waymo is already operating in Phoenix, Arizona and in a limited capacity in Los Angeles.
The robotaxi company sees the upcoming expansion as a next step after operating for about a year as a paid service in San Francisco “without any serious incidents,” according to the Chronicle.
“Looking back over the year, I’m thrilled to say that it’s been a big success,” Waymo director of product management David Margines told the paper.
And that’s just the start. Eventually Waymo, a Google subsidiary, wants its technology to go into vehicles for deliveries, long-haul trucks, and then personal vehicles — adding another entrant into the autonomous vehicle industry.
But the expansion and the increase of autonomous vehicles bring significant trepidation to local communities and activists who see these robotaxis as a nuisance or a danger.
Traffic Jam
Case in point is the recent reports of a parking lot full of Waymos honking at each other in a parking lot in the middle of the night, waking up residents at all hours.
And despite Margines saying the last year has been a success, there have been reported incidents of Waymos driving the wrong way, plus crashes that have prompted the robotaxi company to recall its vehicles and a federal investigation.
No injuries were reported in the more two dozen Waymo-involved incidents, which were crashes or traffic law violations, but they’ve nevertheless been a cause for concern for upset residents and community advocates.
Waymo isn’t the only robotaxi company that has come under scrutiny. Earlier this month, General Motors recalled its Cruise robotaxis after a federal investigation into two incidents in which pedestrians were injured involving the Cruise robotaxi service.
Because of these incidents with Cruise and Waymo, a coalition of San Franciscans, labor, and traffic safety activists have been petitioning Governor Gavin Newsom to ban robotaxis in the city.
But it looks like instead, there are more robotaxis on the horizon.
More on Waymo: Self-Driving Waymo Spotted Plowing Down Wrong Side of Street
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