Citing a lack of support, New York Governor Kathy Hochul today pulled a proposal that would have allowed for commercial robotaxi services outside New York City.
Based on conversations with stakeholders, including in the Legislature, it was clear that the support was not there to advance the proposal, Sean Butler, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement issued today.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc., had already raised $16 billion, but its global expansion plan nosedived with the governor’s decision.
Taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) groups representing drivers have strongly opposed robotaxis, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is closely allied with Taxi drivers have expressed skepticism about their use in New York City.
Last month, in Santa Monica, Calif., a Waymo robotaxi struck a child, who sustained minor injuries. The company said the child had “suddenly entered the roadway” and that its vehicle had hit the brakes more effectively than a human driver would have in the same circumstances.
Ethan Teicher, a spokesman for Waymo, said in a statement that the company was disappointed by the governor’s expected move but would continue to seek ways to bring its autonomous fleet to the state.
“We will continue to engage constructively with the governor, the Legislature, and officials around the state to deliver the proven mobility option that New Yorkers are waiting for,” he said.
Waymo allows people to hail a ride using its own app in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami. Waymo employees are able to hail rides in five additional cities in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, a sign that Waymo may be close to offering its services to the general public in more places.
Other companies, like Tesla and Amazon’s Zoox, were building their own autonomous taxi businesses.
Cab and for-hire-vehicle drivers have long been wary of the rise of robotaxis.
Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), which represents more than 28,000 cabs, Uber, and Lyft drivers in the city, said she welcomed the governor’s decision to pump the brakes on the upstate pilot programs.
This is technology that is going to have a significant impact on the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers, Ms. Desai said, adding that her group was skeptical of the industry’s safety claims.
“We applaud Governor Hochul’s sensible decision to pull the highly unpopular upstate Waymo robotaxi pilot bill. Waymo thinks by targeting Buffalo and Rochester, it can divide and conquer our driver-led movement,” according to a statement issued by the NYTWA today.
“But, once again, billionaire tech bosses underestimate workers at their own peril,” the statement reads.