No-driver taxis inch closer to state’s roadways
California regulators who oversee ride hailing have drafted regulations that would allow robot-taxi services to operate in the state — first with backup drivers, then with no one behind the wheel.
The California Public Utilities Commission on Friday issued a proposal that would authorize transportation companies to conduct pilot projects giving rides to the public in autonomous vehicles. Cruise, Uber and Lyft have already approached the commission about operating driverless taxi services, according to the proposal.
“These proposals allow the introduction of (autonomous vehicles) into passenger service to the public on a pilot basis, while providing for the safety and consumer protection of the passengers,” said the proposal, written by Commissioner Liane Randolph.
The proposed regulations, which the commission could approve at its May 10 meeting, closely mirror rules implemented by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which oversees autonomous cars. Only cars permitted by the DMV could work in robot-taxi services.
For now, companies may not charge for autonomous rides. The CPUC said after these rules are adopted, it will develop regulations for paid passenger services with self-driving cars.
Initially, companies could transport passengers in autonomous vehicles only with a trained backup driver at the wheel. Some 50 companies in California have permission to test almost 400 vehicles with backup drivers.
Autonomous taxi tests with backup drivers are already being conducted in Arizona by Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Al-
phabet. Lyft and Nutonomy are testing ride hailing of autonomous cars with backup drivers in Boston. Uber, which had robot-taxi services with backup drivers in Pittsburgh and Arizona, has suspended its tests nationwide after a fatal crash last month in Arizona.
Testing autonomous cars without backup drivers on public roads became legal in Caifornia on April 2, although so far no company has received permission to do so and only one company — as yet unidentified — has applied. The PUC rules would also allow no-driver taxis, hewing to the DMV’s requirement that remote operators monitor the cars.
Waymo has been testing no-driver cars in Arizona and has given some early rides there. The company has stated it will have a no-driver taxi service in Arizona by the year’s end.
Companies that wish to offer robot rides in California would need to register with the commission as “transportation charter-party carriers,” a category of ride service that includes hired limousines. For instance, General Motors — whose San Francisco Cruise division has showed off cars with no steering wheels, brake pedals or accelerators — would need to apply for that status to enact its plan to have fleets of robot cars within two years.
“This is a logical progression that runs hand in hand with our regulations,” said Brian Soublet, deputy director and general counsel of the DMV. “The PUC is providing pathways to autonomous vehicles being able to be used for ride sharing.”