Residents of San Francisco will have to get used to driverless vehicles, as they have been opposing their deployment for several months. This is a very important step for the sector, which will however launch a real battle of opinion. This will take place both in the stands and in the streets.
The Californian city is the epicenter of the tech world, so much so that it regularly turns into a life-size laboratory for start-ups and other large companies.
No more having to endure the driver’s playlist
Waymo and Cruise, subsidiaries of Alphabet and General Motors respectively, have been rolling out their self-driving taxis in the Golden City for some time. Only authorized to circulate from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., they are intended, and are theoretically capable, of operating at any time of the day. This will now be possible, since the Californian authorities have just granted them their confidence, after 6 hours of tense public hearings where critics and supporters of the sector were able to express themselves.
For both companies, this is a big win. After investing billions of dollars in their services, the financial benefits are clearly not there yet. In addition, this decision could initially serve as a precedent for the rest of the California state, before seeking to obtain a similar deployment in the rest of the country. For Waymo’s co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, ” the permit issued today marks the true beginning of our business operations in San Francisco “. However, all is not entirely won.
Who will put your suitcase in the trunk?
Critics of the technology outnumber its proponents. Indeed, the autonomous vehicles of the two American giants have been talked about a lot in the streets and on social networks. Although they have not caused any accidents to date, they have been the source of many inconveniences for local residents and civil servants, who have not hesitated to express their dissatisfaction. Among them, transportation and emergency services cited a series of incidents in which self-driving vehicles stopped traffic, blocked buses or obstructed emergency vehicles.
While VTC drivers have also expressed concern about being replaced by a machine, people with disabilities have also urged decision-makers to reconsider their judgment. Indeed, many have expressed the need for more accessible and less expensive public transport, in a country where the situation in this regard can be very different from what can be found elsewhere in the world.
Despite this, Waymo and Cruise have complied with the obligations required by the Californian authorities, which however specify: “ We expect companies to engage with first responders, with law enforcement, with city officials, and we expect actions to address concerns. »
Source : The Verge
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