car service in San Francisco from 10 am to 6 pm without a driver. It could operate robotaxis with fared passenger service all day if there was a “safety” driver present and free service anytime without a “safety” driver.
The ruling may also open San Francisco for future competition from Uber and Lyft as they look to save money on paying drivers, and for Tesla. CEO Elon Musk last month promised Tesla robotaxis by the end of 2024. A retired deputy city attorney was entering an intersection in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood in early June when a Cruise hit one of her black Labradors, according toEmergency personnel reportedly have had to break windows in order to move or shut down the driverless cars. Urban cycling advocacy group SafeStreetRebel have “bricked” some of the cars by placing orange cones on their hoods.
A Cruise spokesman said via email that “these events are extremely rare. We are dedicated to enhancing our technology, and we maintain an open line of communication with first responders to receive feedback and discuss specific incidents to improve our response. Our AVs are designed to recognize emergency vehicle sirens and lights and yield to them while following traffic rules ”