New York Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal to legalize robotaxis, delaying Waymo’s plans to expand autonomous vehicle services statewide.
New York Hits the Brakes on Robotaxi Expansion Plan
New York Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal to legalize robotaxis, delaying Waymo’s plans to expand autonomous vehicle services statewide.
New York: New York has stopped a plan that would have let robotaxis drive without a driver. Governor Kathy Hochul decided to cancel this plan because not enough people in the state support it. Robotaxis are cars that drive themselves without a person controlling them.
The governor wanted to change a rule that says drivers must keep one hand on the wheel. This rule stops robotaxis from working because no person is in control of the car. The plan also would have made robotaxi companies pay money and get special permission to operate in New York. There were limits on where these self-driving cars could be used.
Waymo, a company that makes robotaxis, tried for many years to bring its service to New York. The company says thousands of people in New York want to use their robotaxis that are already working in other cities. The company’s robotaxis are now in seven other states and give over 400,000 rides each week. Even though the plan failed, Waymo plans to keep working with state leaders to bring robotaxis to New York in the future. They want to make sure it is safe and that everyone agrees it’s a good idea before moving forward.