California Mulling New Rules for Autonomous Cars to Pick Up Passengers
The California Public Utilities Commission, the body that regulates utilities including transportation companies such as ride-hailing apps, issued a proposal that could clear the way for companies such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo and General Motors Co. to give members of the public a ride in a self-driving car without any backup driver present, which has been the practice of most companies so far.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles had already issued rules allowing for autonomous vehicle testing without drivers, which took effect this week. The commission said its proposed rules complement the existing DMV rules but provide additional protections for passengers.
Last month, an Uber SUV operating in self-driving mode struck and killed a 49-year-old woman in the first known fatality caused by a driverless car. Uber suspended its self-driving car operations, and the crash remains under investigation by federal safety officials.
The proposed California rules require that companies hold an autonomous vehicle testing permit from the DMV for at least 90 days before picking up passengers. The service must be free, companies are not allowed to accept payment from passengers, passengers must be 18 years or older and no airport trips are allowed.
The proposal also mandates that companies file regular reports to regulators including the number of miles their self-driving vehicles travel, rides they complete and disabled passengers they are serving.
(Reporting by Somerville Editing by James Dalgleish)