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…

SF Standard – How Cruise Secured Support From Local Groups as It Pushed To Expand Robotaxis

Article from SF Standard by Joshua Bote. Covers how Cruise and Waymo spent a great deal of effort and money to went over support from local groups, including disability groups. It worked, and the groups continue to support robotaxis even after the numerous problems they have caused.

Read MoreSF Standard – How Cruise Secured Support From Local Groups as It Pushed To Expand Robotaxis
A group of a dozen adults, including some people using white canes, manual and power wheelchairs, cross a sidewalk in Seattle Washington. The sky is grey and everyone is bundled up in warm clothes. There are apartment buildings on either side of the street, and trees without leaves.

Robotaxis Won’t Get Us There, So Let’s Stop Being Used to Sell a Future that Doesn’t Serve Us

Robotaxis won’t get us there, so let’s stop being used to sell a future that doesn’t serve us. This article is from Alice Wong’s DisabilityVisibilityProject.com where you can also find many other articles on disability issues.

Read MoreRobotaxis 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 

Article from the SF Standard by Josh Koehn. Covers how not only did Cruise and Waymo report spending $2.3m to lobby state and local politicians to allow them to use our roads as a testing ground, but Cruise did not report hiring Axiom Advisors, close partners with Governor Newsom, until after key CPUC hearing.

Read MoreSF 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…

Read MoreThe Lever – The Lobbying Surge Behind San Francisco’s Robo-Taxi Mayhem

San Francisco seeks reprieve from CPUC decision allowing unfettered autonomous vehicle expansion

San Francisco officials, led by City Attorney David Chiu, have filed a motion to halt the CPUC's decision allowing unchecked expansion of commercial autonomous vehicles (AVs) by Cruise and Waymo. Citing public safety concerns and numerous incidents where AVs interfered with emergency services, the city is seeking a stay while challenging the decision's lack of consideration for safety and environmental impacts in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Read MoreSan 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?

Article from SF Chronicle by Soleil Ho. Covers how Cruise and Waymo actively lobbied and funded disability organizations to get support for robotaxis. But it appears this was just a cynical ploy.

Read MoreSF Chronicle – Robotaxis are good for disabled people, advocates say. But are wheelchair users being thrown under the (autonomous) bus?