San Diego no-go on Waymo? Panel calls for locals to have a say on driverless cars

Not so fast, Waymo. In a shot across the bow of the driverless car service, a transit panel voted Wednesday to oppose the expansion of driverless vehicles in San Diego while urging state leaders to give local jurisdictions some say in allowing the service to cruise into their communities. Two weeks ago, Waymo announced that it would bring its fully autonomous taxi service to San Diego next year, expanding beyond other cities, including Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. The Metropolitan Transit System’s Taxi Advisory Committee, though, voted to recommend that the full MTS board challenge Waymo before the state Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles. One argument for the move? Waymo, said San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, threatens the livelihoods of taxi and delivery drivers who depend on driving income. “No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines just to boost profits especially without local communities having any say. We are drawing a line: corporate profit must not come at the expense of people’s livelihoods or our democracy,” Elo-Rivera, chair of the advisory committee, said in a news release. The committee also called on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to give municipalities input even the right to vote on whether to welcome autonomous vehicle operators in their jurisdictions. “San Diegans deserve the right to decide if driverless vehicles belong in our communities, and under what rules. That’s what this fight is about,” Elo-Rivera said. In addition, the panel sought the full board’s support for prohibiting driverless vehicles from San Diego International Airport, “in order to protect airport ground transportation workers and ensure public safety,” according to Elo-Rivera’s office. Voting members of the Taxi Advisory Committee include representatives of the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Regional Airport Authority and United Taxi Workers of San Diego. In addition, several cab company permit holders and lease drivers hold votes. A host of complaints have risen up regarding driverless cars, many of them focused on safety. Three years ago, Pew researchers found that 44% of adults surveyed considered driverless cars a “bad idea.” A large number, though, were not sure. Supporters, however, argue that driverless vehicles could make commuting less stressful and reduce accidents. Mikhail Hussein, president of the United Taxi Workers of San Diego, raised the safety issue and called for more public discussion of services like Waymo. “If this moves forward in San Diego, many professional drivers will lose their main source of income. These vehicles raise serious safety concerns-no machine can replace the human connection between a driver and their customer,” he said. “We believe the public deserves a real debate and discussion before our streets are handed over to autonomous vehicles.” Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, did not return an email seeking comment. Waymo began operations in Miami this week according to Reuters, with other rollouts next year set to include Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando. Big players in the burgeoning industry include Tesla and Zoox, part of Amazon.
https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2025/11/19/transit-panel-slams-brakes-waymo-local-input/