A new bill introduced by state Sen. David Cortese aims to grant local authorities in California the ability to regulate the operations of robotaxi services. The bill, known as SB 915 or the Autonomous Vehicle Service Deployment and Data Transparency Act, would require that local governments have an ordinance in place to regulate autonomous vehicle services before they are allowed to operate commercially.
The proposed legislation would give cities and counties the power to establish vehicle caps, service hours, and require emergency responders to have the ability to override vehicle controls. It is modeled after existing laws that regulate cab and ride-share services, and is seen as a much-needed shortcut for lawmakers who are dealing with new challenges arising from the rapid development of AI.
This move comes as a response to the growing chorus of voices calling for greater regulation of autonomous vehicles, particularly in light of a recent incident in San Francisco where a woman was thrown into the path of a robotaxi and dragged underneath. State officials subsequently revoked the company’s permit to operate in California.
SB 915 would also authorize cities and counties to levy service charges or fees to fund the new regulatory structure. It would also allow local governments to collaborate in jointly regulating autonomous vehicle services.
Cruise and Waymo, two major players in the robotaxi industry, have not commented on the proposed legislation. However, the Teamsters, a labor group, have thrown their support behind the bill. They have consistently argued for more regulation around self-driving vehicles, emphasizing that local communities should have a say in how these vehicles operate on their streets.
Sen. Cortese believes that the current agency infrastructure is inadequate and has called for the establishment of a single executive branch agency that would be responsible for regulating autonomous vehicle transportation, similar to how the Federal Aviation Administration governs civil aviation. He hopes that this bill will be a step towards achieving a more regulated environment for autonomous vehicles in California.
The source of the article is from the blog yanoticias.es