The driverless vehicle company Waymo’s application last month to expand in areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco was put on hold on Feb. 21 by state regulators.
Waymo’s existing permit to operate its robotaxi service in San Francisco isn’t affected by the decision, a spokesperson confirmed with The Epoch Times.
Following news of the suspension, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President David Canepa said in a statement that the company has had limited discussion with county officials about its expansion plans.
“Since Waymo has stalled any meaningful discussions on its expansion plans into Silicon Valley, the CPUC has put the brakes on its application to test robotaxi service virtually unfettered both in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties,” Mr. Canepa said.
He said the agency’s decision will allow county officials to address their questions about public safety.
“This will provide the opportunity to fully engage the autonomous vehicle maker on our very real public safety concerns that have caused all kinds of dangerous situations for firefighters and police in neighboring San Francisco,” he said.
County spokesperson Michelle Durand told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that county officials are pleased their concerns were heard by the CPUC.
“The County is not anti-technology but the safety of our residents comes first,” she said.
Waymo provides rides to thousands of people each day in self-driving vehicles, the Mountain View, California-based company said in its Jan. 19 letter, noting that the firm already has provided more than 1 million driverless rides in California and Arizona.
The company received approval from the Department of Motor Vehicles—which also regulates the deployment and testing of driverless vehicles—in January to deploy vehicles in the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as additional areas in central Los Angeles.
Ms. Bass said the deployment of autonomous vehicles requires local input and collaborative efforts between state agencies, cities, and the industry to “set clear regulations,” which would in turn maximize benefits from the new technology while ensuring public safety.
So far, Los Angeles has been mostly in the dark when it comes to the expansion plan, she said in the letter at the time.
“To date, local jurisdictions like Los Angeles have had little to no input in AV deployment and are already seeing significant harm and disruption,” she said.
In a board of supervisors meeting earlier this month, San Mateo County officials approved a resolution in support of Senate Bill 915, which would give local governments authority to decide whether driverless cars could be deployed within their jurisdictions.
