Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Politics
Cars, being fast moving and heavy, are quite dangerous. They should be well regulated for safety. But it turns out regulations can be bought and paid for by lobbying money…
Reuters – GM robotaxi unit Cruise offers $75,000 to resolve crash probe
Government sources of information
There are several very useful sources of information on robotaxis from government agencies: San Francisco City DMV and CPUC NHTSA
Forbes – Buttigieg Seeks Robocar Safety. Here’s How He Should Do It
See full original article by Brad Templeton at Forbes. In the wake of the recent tumultuous period for General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi unit, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeieg recently declared, “We’re going to do everything we can with the authorities we do have, which are not trivial,” to ensure self-driving vehicles…
In Which We Find More Evidence the CPUC Is Thoroughly Captured
See original article by Sue Vaughan at Burning Planet, which contains more useful articles about climate change and transportation. The California Public Utilities Commission is now reneging on a possible evaluation of the environmental impacts of Waymos and Cruises – and other commercial autonomous vehicles that may be authorized to…
SF Standard – How Cruise Secured Support From Local Groups as It Pushed To Expand Robotaxis
Robotaxis Won’t Get Us There, So Let’s Stop Being Used to Sell a Future that Doesn’t Serve Us
SF Standard – Cruise Hired a Lobbyist Close to Newsom. Then a Crash Changed Everything
The Lever – The Lobbying Surge Behind San Francisco’s Robo-Taxi Mayhem
Driverless taxi companies Cruise and Waymo wined and dined officials and landed a plum regulatory appointment before they scored free rein on San Francisco’s streets. See full original article on The Lever by Freddy Brewster. In the lead-up to California regulators voting earlier this month to allow driverless taxis to…
SF Standard – Here’s How Much Robotaxi Companies Spent to Influence California Regulators
San Francisco seeks reprieve from CPUC decision allowing unfettered autonomous vehicle expansion
SF Chronicle – Robotaxis are good for disabled people, advocates say. But are wheelchair users being thrown under the (autonomous) bus?
SFGATE – Ex-SF Mayor Willie Brown blasts SF attacks on Cruise, Waymo, is on Cruise payroll
48 Hills – The environmental case against robotaxis
See original article by Sue Vaughan on 48 Hills. They will further damage public transit—and they’re no help to people with disabilities. On August 7 and August 10, the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission will take up the proposal to permit an unlimited number of autonomous Cruise…