Driverless taxis gain ground in San Francisco
Driverless taxis from Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car division, can now operate at speeds as fast as 105 kilometers per hour in San Francisco and the tech titan's home city in Silicon Valley (Photo: AFP/Getty Images North America/Justin Sullivan)
SAN FRANCISCO: California authorities took a major step forward on Thursday (Aug 10) in expanding driverless taxi services in San Francisco, giving the green light for operators Waymo and Cruise to compete with ride-share services and cabs.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) heard six hours of public comment before voting three-to-one to let Waymo, a unit of Google-parent Alphabet, and General Motors-owned Cruise essentially run 24-hour robotaxi services in San Francisco.
"Today is the first of many steps in bringing AV (autonomous vehicle) transportation services to Californians and setting a successful and transparent model for other states to follow," said CPUC commissioner John Reynolds, who voted in favour of approval.
Waymo cars were cleared to travel at speeds as fast as 105kmh without human drivers at the wheel, even in some inclement weather.
It also won permission to offer driverless car rides to paying passengers in its home city of Mountain View, in Silicon Valley.
The cruise was approved to run fared passenger service in San Francisco at no faster than 56kmh and not through dense fog or heavy smoke.
Previously, Cruise could charge customers only during certain hours of the day. Waymo had not been allowed to charge for rides without a human driver on board.
Driverless cars were first introduced in San Francisco in 2014 with a mandatory human "safety driver" on board.
Four years later, California scrapped its requirement for a human driver to be in the car.
The CPUC session drew commenters from all sides of the issue, with some calling robotaxis unsafe menaces while others lauded them as solutions to everything from climate change to road rage.
Driverless cars have gotten stuck in the middle of roads, blocked bus lanes or even interfered in police or firefighter operations.
But others at the hearing praised the vehicles for giving independence to people with disabilities, making roads safer and helping eliminate discrimination.
Others opposed cars of any kind, saying the future lies in clean, convenient and affordable public transit.
"The future of cities is not cars, no matter what kind," one speaker contended.
Would you ride in a driverless taxi? Why or why not?
ReplyDelete*Remember to include your NAME & CLASS/TG in the comment! 😊*
Tyson 4/5
ReplyDeleteYes. I would like to ride in a driverless taxi because it is a new experience for me.
While the expansion of driverless taxi services presents exciting opportunities for innovation, there are valid concerns to consider. The potential risks associated with driverless cars getting stuck, interfering with emergency operations, or causing road disruptions cannot be ignored. Striking a balance between technological advancement and public safety remains paramount in embracing this new mode of transportation.
ReplyDeleteJeremy 4/5
ReplyDeleteI personally would not ride in a driverless taxi as I feel that the technology is not currently advanced to the point where having a fully autonomous vehicle on the road is a safe thing to do, I think that its dangerous as even though the driverless car may have a faster reaction time than a human, it will lack the instinct that humans have that allows us to swerve suddenly to avoid a pedestrian or a reckless driver.
Kayleigh 4/5-
ReplyDeleteYES I WOULD!! This is because, even though it is driverless, there is a mandatory human “safety driver” on board. This means that despite it being able to move on its own, it is generally very safe as there is someone to monitor the driving of the car. Due to this, I would definitely take the driverless cars if necessary.
Felix 4/5
ReplyDeleteYes. I would like to ride in a driverless taxi as it will be a new experience for me.
I would like to ride in a driveless taxi. As nowadays technology is developing rapidly, AI will ensure a safer ride than myself driving on the road. Xin Ai 4/5
ReplyDeleteYes! I will love to ride in a driverless taxi! It is an one in a life experience as driverless cars are expensive
ReplyDeleteYes I will like to ride the driverless taxi. This is because I will like to try out the taxi.i feel that this driverless taxi is the future and that's why i will like to ride.
ReplyDelete