A California regulator has decided to postpone until June 19 an application by Alphabet’s Waymo to expand its robotaxi services to parts of the Los Angeles area and San Francisco’s peninsula, citing rising safety concerns over autonomous vehicles.
The application has been “suspended for further staff review,” as indicated by a notification on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website, although the exact posting date of the notification remains unclear.
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“The ‘suspension’ of an advice letter is a procedural part of the CPUC’s standard and robust review process,” Waymo stated in an email response to Reuters.
Under CPUC regulations, an application that is not approved within the first 30 days of initial review goes into suspension for up to 120 days. This suspension period can be extended for another 180 days if the application is not approved, or it can be rejected or withdrawn.
Waymo, which currently operates in San Francisco and Phoenix, submitted its application on Jan 19 to expand its driverless services, emphasizing its commitment to collaborate with policymakers, first responders, and community organizations.
The decision to delay comes amidst growing public concern regarding robotaxis following recent accidents involving Waymo and rival General Motors’ Cruise. In a recent incident, a Waymo robotaxi was attacked and set on fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown during Chinese New Year celebrations. This followed another incident in which a Waymo vehicle struck a bicyclist at a city intersection.
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In a separate incident last October, a self-driving vehicle manufactured by GM-owned Cruise hit and dragged a pedestrian for 20 feet (6 meters). California subsequently suspended Cruise’s driverless testing license.
These incidents have prompted California lawmakers to advocate for stricter regulation of robotaxis and autonomous trucks in the state. Last week, Waymo announced a recall of vehicles in Phoenix after two minor collisions occurred in quick succession. The recall was initiated due to a software error that could result in the vehicles inaccurately predicting the movement of a towed vehicle.
