After the state gave the green light to GM’s unmanned Cruise robo-taxis, crowds of California concertgoers discovered what happens when an autonomous vehicle runs out of gas, or in this case, a WiFi connection. Ten of the newly authorized vehicles stopped running, creating traffic snafus in several locations, according to The Register. The unexpected roadblocks added to the already chaotic conditions generated by attendees of the Outside Lands music festival, all placing simultaneous demands on available digital resources.
“Unfortunately, the California Public Utilities Commission has prematurely allowed unrestricted driverless AV commercial passenger services on San Francisco streets,” stated SFMTA spokesperson Stephen Chun. CPUC voted to extend the operating hours of the robo-taxis the day before the scheduled concert.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has been gradually seeing greater use of the vehicles, despite opposition from police, fire fighters, and other city agencies. The vehicles have been permitted to engage in some nighttime driving since June 2022. Over 600 reports of problems with the robo-taxis have been reported to the SFMTA, but officials have said they believe that many incidents involving unexpected stops and interference with first responders have gone unreported. As The Register notes, at least 30 labor unions have also condemned the rise in AV use, saying they have safety concerns about the vehicles, and believe their use will result in lost jobs for the union workforce.
Nevertheless, the CPUC went ahead, according to The Register, and approved GM and Waymo’s request to let the unmanned vehicles operate for longer hours. When first launched, there was some human oversight, with a safety driver available to help navigate the San Francisco streets. Without a human on board to assist with critical decisions, a strong digital connection becomes essential. Without either a driver or connectivity, city planners say the fleet of robo-taxis could easily create more traffic hassles than it solves.
So far, Waymo (formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project) has introduced its driverless cars to travelers in San Francisco and Phoenix, with road tests being conducted in several other states. The technology is not without its flaws. From the sidelines, Ford commented that it is also working through bugs with its own self-driving car program.
In the aftermath of the California robo-taxi traffic snafu, SFMTA spokesperson Chun noted that his organization will continue to work with the SFCTA, state regulators, AV firms, and CPUC staff “to reduce the unintended safety hazards created by AVs.”
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