SF Chronicle – An S.F. doctor sued Waymo for allegedly flagging him as a terrorist. Here’s why he dropped the case
SF Chronicle reports on some serious problems with Waymo customer service.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, 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…
Read MoreSF Chronicle – An S.F. doctor sued Waymo for allegedly flagging him as a terrorist. Here’s why he dropped the case
San Francisco Chronicle – New poll shows what San Francisco residents really think about Waymo cars
SF Chronicle conducted a poll and found that only 42% consider the robotaxis to be a "good thing". Meanwhile, Brad Templeton does a really weird and inappropriate comparison to acceptance of elevators.
Express News – Waymo recalls robotaxis after vehicle swept away in San Antonio flood
The San Antonio Express News reports that Waymo vehicles were programmed to drive onto flooded roads. This poor decision caused one of the Waymo vehicles to wash downstream. Now Waymo is updating the software on all their 3,800 vehicles to avoid this really stupid idea.
Wired – Waymo Is Trying to Crack Down on Solo Kids in Driverless Cars
Wired reports that Waymo is finally trying to address the problem of violating the law by providing service to unaccomanied minors. Though they should have dealt with this months ago when they first clearly knew about this problem.
SF Gate – Illegal cars on Market Street surge after Mayor Lurie welcomes Waymo
SF Gate reports on how Mayor Lurie's bending of the laws and allowing Waymo vehicles on car-free Market Street has completely backfired. A year later Waymo is not providing service on Market Street because there are no adequate locations to drop off or pick up passengers. Instead, Market Street is now plagued by car drivers who wrongly think that all cars are now allowed on the "car-free" portion.
Bloomberg – China Suspends Autonomous Driving Permits After Baidu Outage
Bloomberg reports that China is having major autonomous vehicle problems. There was a big problem where the Baidu robotaxis simply stopped operating, stranding passengers in dangerous situations.
Wired – Emergency First Responders Say Waymos Are Getting Worse
Wired reports that not all do Waymos interfere with first responders, but it continues to get worse.
SF Standard – Cops can ticket driverless cars now
SF Standard reports that robotaxis, such as Waymos, can now be ticketed in California for their surprisingly numerous traffic violations. Rbbotaxis must also do a better job in not interfering with first responders. Plus, robotaxi companies will finally have to share more information about problems with the DMV.
Streetsblog NYC – Waymo Is Not In The ‘Vision Zero’ Toolbox: Data
Streetsblog makes the critical point that when iti comes to safety, Waymo has been trying to get everyone to focus on the wrong issue: safety per passenger mile driven. The real question is whether robotaxis have improved safety in general. And it turns out that with a huge number of Waymos in San Francisco safety has actually become a bit worse. Meanswhile in Helsinki and Oslo, where there are exactly zero robotaxis, they didn't have a single fatality last year. If people our actually interested in safety, as Waymo claims, then they should be promoting incredibly safe public transportation, not robotaxis.
NYC StreetsBlog – ‘A Solution, But To What Problem?’ Experts Say AVs Are The Elephant In The Room, But There’s Still Time To Figure Out Their Role
NYC StreetsBlog talks with the experts behind the recent The Future of Transportation seminar. Key point is whether we are currently even asking the right questions about robotaxi safety. After all, Oslo and Helsinki both had zero fatalities last year and they managed to do so without a single robotaxi.
SF Chronicle Opinion – San Francisco is obsessed with the safest drivers — and ignoring the ones killing people
SF Chronicle publishes a marketing piece for Waymo as an op-ed. William Riggs, the author, is paid by Waymo and other robotaxi companies to do their bidding. Not stating that William Riggs is funded by robotaxi companies is journalistic malpractice by the newspaper.
StreetsBlog NYC – Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs
StreetsBlog NYC reports that despite claims by Waymos, their robotaxis mean more cars rather than fewer. They encourage riders to not just take Waymos, but also other ride hail vehicles. The result is less transit usage and more congestion.
A More Perfect Union – I Rode A Driverless Taxi. What I Learned Will Scare You
A More Perfect Union created an excellent short video on the ramifications on workers if robotaxis are widely adopted. The situation is grim.
SF Chronicle – A California bill seeks to make robotaxis safer. AV companies say it could ‘ban’ the industry
SF Chronicle reports on potential California legislation Bill 1246 that would require a local technician for every three autonomous vehicles. Industry lobbyists for Waymo of course bitched an moaned and went all apocalyptic.
East Bay Times – California bill would require robotaxi companies to hire humans for emergencies
East Bay Times reports on new potential California legislation that would require to have adequate local technicians, one for every three self-driving cars. This is due to the disaster traffic jams that Waymo robotaxis caused during the San Francisco power outage in December '25.
