Less than a month after Waymo Los Angeles County ExpansionLabor organizers and a Los Angeles lawmaker are calling for new regulations for autonomous vehicles.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez’s office said he will introduce a motion “urging state officials to address public safety concerns around autonomous vehicles and rein in the expansion of robotaxis in Los Angeles.” .
The office cited both Waymo and Cruise in the statement, which came out shortly after the California DMV pulled Cruise’s robotaxi permits.
The motion would have Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto join San Francisco’s existing robotaxi lawsuit against the California Public Utilities Commission. The CPUC is just one of the regulatory bodies overseeing the rollout of autonomous vehicles in California.
Council Member Soto-Martinez represents Los Angeles District 13, which includes Silverlake, Atwater Village, Little Armenia, and Little Bangladesh. The lawmaker’s office said he will introduce the motion at Wednesday’s city council meeting, following a news conference with Teamsters leader Chris Griswold.
Last week, Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park filed a motion asking for reports on the city’s ability to regulate autonomous vehicles. “The city will need to address the potential impacts of these vehicles on roadways,” the motion said. Park represents the city’s 11th District, which includes Venice, Sawtelle and Brentwood.
Waymo and Cruise did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment on their Los Angeles operations and the lawmakers’ statements.
Meanwhile, the Teamsters just led their Second demonstration in Santa Monica. in as many weeks due to “current safety concerns with robotaxis.” Organizers said they timed Tuesday’s event to coincide with Alphabet and Google’s latest earnings report.
Dozens of people gathered outside Google’s headquarters in Venice to get the attention of elected officials, Teamsters Local 396 communications chief Adan Alvarez told TechCrunch. “Our communities should not be lab rats for this dangerous technology,” he said, standing near a gigantic statue of binoculars in the beach office. “It is clearly not safe, and our local elected officials should investigate what can be done to protect safety and protect the common good,” Alvarez said.
The Teamsters representative cited Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto a bill requiring human drivers in trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds. Alvarez said the veto gives technology companies “the green light to start experimenting with larger vehicles” and puts drivers’ jobs at risk.
Waymo’s expansion in Los Angeles has been a long time coming. The company began mapping the city in 2019 and began testing robotaxi rides with employees in Santa Monica around March 2023. Waymo intends to expand in the city of Los Angeles proper.”soon” according to the company website.
GM-backed Cruise has also tested autonomous vehicles in Los Angeles. The DMV suspensions leave room for Cruise to continue operating in the city, as long as a human driver is present behind the wheel.
