Lyft and Uber drivers protest Waymo robotaxis as California considers further regulations

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drivers for Lyft and Uber protested self-driving Waymo taxis in San Francisco on Friday, urging state regulators to exercise greater oversight of autonomous vehicles, given recent events in which the cars killed pets and blocked traffic.

About two dozen drivers and supporters spoke or held up signs calling for safer streets and greater accountability outside the offices of the California Public Utilities Commission, which met Friday to consider further regulations on autonomous vehicles.

A steady stream of Waymo cars drove past the protest, a testament to the growing ubiquity of the white cars in San Francisco.

“I personally am not against technology; what I am against is unfair treatment," said Joseph Augusto, who drives for both Uber and Lyft. "We have these people, these companies, these autonomous vehicle companies who are driving around the city, and they don’t seem to be held to the same standards as us drivers.”

The California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Uber and Lyft, is refining and expanding policies around autonomous robotaxis as the industry grows. The California Gig Workers Union says the vehicles should be removed from streets until safety concerns are addressed.

The state agency said it had no comment on the protest.

A spokesperson for Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, said Waymo "is on a mission to be the world’s most trusted driver, making it safe, more accessible and more sustainable for riders to get around.”

Hobbled Waymos blocked San Francisco streets during a mass power outage days before Christmas, forcing the company to pause service and raising questions about the cars’ ability to adapt to real-world driving conditions.

In September, a Waymo pulled an illegal U-turn in front of a sign telling drivers not to do that, but San Bruno police could not issue a ticket because there was no human driver. In October, a Waymo crushed a popular neighborhood cat named Kit Kat.

Augusto, the driver, said he saw Waymos stalled at intersections as people darted around them on Dec. 20 when the lights went out across San Francisco.

“There were a lot of Waymos around. Just randomly all over the city and there’s no plan,” he said.