The San Diego City Council passed a resolution Monday calling for more safeguards for driverless taxis.
One of the leading robotaxi companies, Waymo, officially launched in San Diego this month.
Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, however, said local elected officials didn't have a chance to design policies surrounding the company’s operations — or whether it should even be in San Diego at all.
That’s despite robotaxis making headlines across the country in recent months for blocking first responders during emergencies.
“When our firefighters, our police officers, or our ambulance drivers are responding to 911, life-or-death emergencies, nothing should be in their way," she said during a press conference before the council vote. "Not a company, not an algorithm, not an autonomous driverless vehicle”
In a July 8 letter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted a pattern of autonomous vehicles interfering with police and first responders, and urgently called on operators to fix the issue.
The California Public Utilities Commission greenlit Waymo’s presence in San Diego, despite a formal protest by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
Monday’s city council resolution calls on the state legislature and governor to provide more local control over driverless taxi companies; it urges robotaxi companies to avoid bike lanes and pedestrian pathways; and it asks the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to ban autonomous vehicles from the San Diego International Airport.
It also expresses support for a federal bill that would create new emergency response requirements for robotaxis.
Adam Lane, Waymo’s state and local policy manager, defended the company’s safety record during the council meeting and called the resolution premature.
“We’re deeply invested in local collaboration, having already trained nearly 300 San Diego first responders and partnered with airport leadership through three months of testing at San Diego Airport to ensure orderly, safe curbside operations,” he said.
The resolution also addresses impacts to taxi and rideshare drivers.
Luis Arias, president of San Diego Drivers United, said his colleagues are worried about their livelihoods.
“Our work, sacrifice, and service helped build this industry… technology can bring progress, but that progress should not come at the expense of workers, public safety, accessibility, or local infrastructure,” he said during Monday’s press conference.
