Waymo has announced plans to introduce its autonomous vehicles to New York City next month, albeit with a human driver present to comply with local regulations. This approach marks a departure from its fully driverless robotaxi services in other cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. To operate under these conditions, Waymo applied for a permit from the city’s Transportation Department, as mandated by guidelines established by Mayor Eric Adams last year.
The mayor’s office confirmed that it is reviewing Waymo’s application and emphasized its commitment to public safety and responsible innovation regarding autonomous vehicle technology. Waymo is the first company to seek such a permit in the city. While the company is eager to expand its robotaxi services in the future, it acknowledged that it is not ready to roll out a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in New York City at this stage.
In addition to its current operational plans, Waymo expressed its intent to advocate for changes to state law that would allow vehicles to operate without a human driver, aligning with its practices in other cities. This announcement comes amid a shifting regulatory landscape, as the Trump administration has begun to ease some regulations governing autonomous vehicles, and Tesla is preparing to launch its own robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.
However, the push for autonomous vehicles has faced resistance from organized labor concerned about job losses, not only for taxi drivers but also for other professions reliant on driving, such as truck driving. Despite these challenges, Waymo remains committed to establishing a presence in the nation’s largest city.
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